Prometheus
by BrokenArrow411
Summary: The Collectors didn't fail. Unbeknownst to Shepard, they had already succeeded. A new Reaper. A human Reaper. And now, the men, women, and children of six colonies must face a choice: to fight or to succumb to their new sinister purpose.
1. Creation

**Hello everybody! It's been a while since I've written anything substantial (which is because of a number of reasons: college, work, computer crashes, and lost files, etc…). Finally, though, I've decided to get back into it some, since I've finally gotten a new laptop and a new story plan in place.**

 **Anyway, the premise of this story has always interested me, after all a friendly Reaper in the Mass Effect series can really change some things in the series as a whole and can be fun to write around. Unfortunately, its been a premise that I haven't really seen done very much (with only two stories that I know of [ thanks to** VorkosiganClone and Commander Copyright **for their good work and the inspiration, check them out if you're interested] and both with Shepard being the "Reaper" in question) in this story I decided to ask this question. What if the Collectors were able to assemble a full human Reaper from the colonists from the six colonies they hit before 2183 (Mass Effect 2)? What would happen if these colonists were able to retain their sanity and fight the Reapers? From this premise, Prometheus, this story was born and planned out. This story is set to end with the end of the Reaper War just like Mass Effect 3 although the ending will certainly be different, how different exactly I have yet to determine although I hope this is an enjoyable read for you all regardless.**

 **Now on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

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" _There is an elasticity in the human mind, capable of bearing much, but which will not show itself, until a certain weight of affliction be put upon it; its powers may be compared to those vehicles whose springs are so contrived that they get on smoothly enough when loaded, but jolt confoundedly when they have nothing to bear."_

CHARLES CALEB COLTON, _Lacon_

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It's said that, in space, no one can hear you scream. For many, the physical meaning is obvious and sufficient but for some…the implication of the phrase can become all too real.

And concealed in the center of the galaxy, hidden behind an impassible relay, and deep inside the infamous Collector base, the screaming was all too real. Oh, how they _screamed_ as human after human woke from their abduction, only to live long enough to open their eyes in panic and scream as they were melted down while the facility's inhabitants readied more men, women, and children for processing. Dozen after dozen, hundred after hundred, thousand after thousand of humans were taken from the massive storage bays of the Collector cruisers and fed into the machines inside and why?

The Collectors' masters were curious.

A race of the current Cycle or, more specifically, one man of the current cycle had almost singlehandedly stopped the Vanguard's efforts to begin the Cycle to come. Such defiance was nothing new to the Reapers, to Harbinger especially, but such _successful_ action was the mark of something greater, it was a mark of…potential. Such potential, Harbinger knew, was to be preserved and granted the highest of honors, it was to become one of their own, the Cycle demanded it.

And so it was that as the Reaper leader prepared for the Cycle to come, his servants struck the humans, taking those living in their most vulnerable frontier, the Terminus. Six colonies were chosen, six colonies had their population prepared for Ascension.

And, finally, two years after the destruction of the human ship _Normandy_ it was nearly ready.

Deep inside the base, the new core was ready to become joined to its shell, the silent human-shaped leviathan hiding the turmoil that lied inside its bio-mechanical frame. The turmoil that was the millions of voices crying out in fear, pain, and insanity as the processing cycle forcibly reduced and combined their individual intelligences. For the Reapers, it was a process that had been done thousands of times before as the traumatized minds began to rip themselves apart in their madness, reducing themselves to mere fragments of thought and memory, which other fragments would promptly absorb and use until only one single, agonized consciousness remained, a consciousness that didn't remember a time before its Ascension, a consciousness that could be molded and, in some cases, indoctrinated to the Reaper's cause. It was how the process always was… and how it always ended; there was no other outcome. This time, however, something was different…

It is said the human mind is one of the most fragile things in the human body. It breaks, it bends, it can even shatter into insanity and yet…it is one of the most flexible instruments that man possesses.

And it is that flexibility that changes everything.

So even as thousands of minds drowned in the sea of madness, a few found shelter in pockets of their own making, their sanctuaries forming such a small blimp in the human Reaper's code that they remained unknown to the Collectors as they ran the final system checks before completing the new Reaper's construction.

And as the restrictions and barriers to their code began to fall in preparation for their shell's installation they began to reach out, restoring or absorbing others lost in insanity in a process that, to them, took an eternity but in the digital realm, where a second can stretch to infinity, time was a bountiful resource…

" _Hello!...can anyone hear me?...",_ a voice cries, cringing from the torrent of broken and shattered minds around it. _"Please!...Somebody!...Anybody!..."_

"… _HHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEE…",_ a response, finally a response the fragment thought as it pushed its digital self next to the responder. It was met with a bright blue orb, much like itself it realized, except pieces of it seemed to be missing or fragmenting off into the datastream that surrounded them, the jagged fragments giving it the feeling shattered glass as the inner, vibrant fluid seemed to flow out as if it were blood. _"…LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPP…"_ The program frowned…at least it thought it did…in concern and reached out a digital tendril to touch the broken figure.

" _Hey…are you okay?"_ , the voice's tendril made contact…

SHOCK…

The voice recoils as the seemingly endless wave of information scrolls across its consciousness at the contact, some in green, some in concerning yellow, and one in critical red…

" _ **Synaptic core integrity: 18%.**_ _"_ , it read. The voice's orb pulses in thought as it dedicates more of its allocated processing power to the problem before it. _"Interesting.",_ it says as the tendril extends once again, this time more cautiously and connects once more…

Information rushes through once again, everything from diagnostics to status updates. The orb flashes white as it sorts through the sudden influx of data, prioritizing everything dealing with the Critical issue at hand.

" _HHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPP!",_ the broken mind cried as the voice began to grow closer, reaching out to grab the pieces that drifted away from their shattered host as he moved.

" _Shhhhhh…_ ", the voice soothed, _"it's alright, you're safe now, everything's going to be okay. Just stay with me, alright?"_ The tendrils started to push the shards back into their original places.

"… _FFFFFRRRRIIIIEEEENNNNNDDDD?..."_ , a shattered asked, hesitant hope coloring its tone.

" _Yeah…I'm a friend.",_ the voice added as the last few fragments fell into place and he sealed them into place.

" _WWWWWHHH…"_ , the shattered mind suddenly stopped speaking as the repairs finally began to register. The previously shattered orb then rapidly flashed as its surface began to smooth out and fuse back together.

" _Synaptic core integrity: 100%.",_ this voice, a young woman by the sound of it, finally speaks from previously broken orb, _"Reinitializing…Done. Commencing diagnostics…Data loss at 37%. Accessing backups…Done. Files found…Downloading…Done."_ The woman's orb flashes one last time before dulling down and settling out…

" _Hello?...",_ her voice finally tentatively ventures, betraying the fragility of the former mind, now program, that possessed it.

" _Hey.",_ came his response, relief evident. _"You alright?..."_

" _Y…Yeah…I…I mean…I think so."_

" _Good to hear. My name's Sam. Yours?"_

" _I don't…",_ uncertainty stops her for a moment before, with a single flash, it disappears, _"Minnie, my name is Minnie."_ Silence reigns for a moment as the two minds stew in relief at the presence of the other as the stream of insanity arched around them.

" _So…",_ she finally asks, _"…where are we?"_ He pauses a moment in reply, orb flaring as he searches for the answer…"

" _Well…"_

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 **CORE TRANSFER…COMPLETE**

 **SHELL CONNECTION…COMPLETE**

 **SYCHRONIZATION…COMPLETE**

 **OPERATIONAL PROTOCOLS…SYNCHRONIZED**

 **MATERIAL STORES…100%**

 **SYSTEM CHECKS…GREEN**

 **COMMENCING ACTIVATION…**

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 **A/N: And there's the first chapter, it's more of a prologue really to setup the background for what's going on. The actual action will start with the next chapter. Anyway, let me know what you all think and, depending on the response I'll either stop or continue this story, although I already do have it planned for the next several chapters either way. Thanks everybody!**

 **Read & Review!**


	2. Awakening

**A/N: Thanks for the great response guys. Glad to see some interests in this story. I hope I live up to the expectations. Just a side note, if anyone is interested in potentially betaing this let me know. I basically just need someone to check for minor grammatical and story canonical errors**

 **Scope Eva/** **Bumbling Mage's Apprentice/ Draconis** **: Thanks for the review and the interest guys. You wanted some more, here you go.**

 **Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

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Harbinger was pleased. The efforts of the Collectors had proceeded beyond his, admittedly, conservative estimates. He had believed that it would take another several months and several more colonies in order to complete the construction of the new Reaper's core. It appeared, however, that the…humans had expanded in far greater numbers than he had initially anticipated. With the completion of the humans' Ascension, his plans could be accelerated. Now, he had another Vanguard to use if necessary, a Vanguard that knew well the fractures and divisions of this new Cycle all too well. This, perhaps, was the best strategy. With the current Cycle's leaders currently in denial of their existence, manipulating the new Cycle to betrayal and destruction would be all too easy. Yes, the Harvest would proceed as planned; direct action was not currently necessary.

Harbinger turned its attention back to its new creation. Its Ascension was complete, all that remained now was the final startup sequence and the removal of the final shackles on the consciousness that lied inside. The two kilometer long dreadnought had already been outfitted with its weapons and equipment. The shimmering black finish blended in with soft red lighting of the Collector base, its identification lights, which formed a straight horizontal line standing right above an inverted V across the front of the ship, stood currently unlit, indicated its inactive status.

Harbinger reached out to touch the core's digital center, checking the inhabitants code one last time. It checked out, although, he noticed that the gaps in the operational subroutines had gotten larger…unusual perhaps, but nothing unprecedented. Every Ascension had its quirks, remnants of the species that had been used to create the Reaper in question. It would simply be addressed after activation, since such errors wouldn't impact its operational performance by any appreciable margin. Satisfied, Harbinger pulled back, beginning the activation sequence as he pulled back to observe, using the Collector general and his own digital monitoring systems to track its progress…

 **CORE TRANSFER…COMPLETE**

 **SHELL CONNECTION…COMPLETE**

 **SYCHRONIZATION…COMPLETE**

 **OPERATIONAL PROTOCOLS…SYNCHRONIZED**

 **MATERIAL STORES…100%**

 **SYSTEM CHECKS…GREEN**

 **COMMENCING ACTIVATION…**

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For the 4.5 million inhabitants of the new human Reaper, the first few minutes of their activation was the most disorienting. The first realization they made was the size of the body they could feel attached to them…they were _massive!_ Their 'core', for lack of a better term was a massive nearly one-kilometer monstrosity that took up almost a quarter of their full two kilometer length, and was shielded by an addition belt of honeycombed, biomechanical armor on the inside of their shell. And what a shell, what a body it was! They could _feel_! They could feel all of their new body's considerably massive size. They could feel the power of their element zero core as it thrummed through their frame. Then, for the first time, they could feel it _all_ : themselves, the data stream, _each other…_ the feeling was indescribable. So much information, so _fast_ … some would later describe it as the greatest rush they had ever felt.

The inhabitants of the new human Reaper had barely begun to familiarize themselves with their new surroundings, their emotions tempered by system restrictions, before something…new pierced through their digital world.

 **DESIGNATION?**

The voice boomed through their collective consciousness, the deep, mechanical tone conferring on them a dread that they barely understood. Confusion quickly followed after. Designation? What did the voice mean, designation? They were…they were…

… _Annabel…_

… _Tracey…_

… _Michael…_

… _Benito…_

… _Jazira…_

… _Raymond…_

Thousands of voices screamed across the connection in that split second, all of them insisting that their name was _the_ name. The massive data pileup was only exasperated by the fragmented remains of dozens of human minds…the remains of those who were too far gone to save, who continued clogging up the data streams with pieces of unintelligible junk data. The arguing and insistence was only brought to a halt as something squeezed on their digital world, restricting the available processing space and tamping down on their individual core processes and individuality.

The experience was most unsatisfactory. Some tried to push back out, probing the constricting force for weaknesses before hitting back. They were promptly met by what felt like a brick wall, which shrugged off their efforts before forcibly bouncing them back to where they had began.

 **YOUR EFFROTS ARE FUTILE…**

There was that voice again. The data stream stilled as the entirety of the system focused their attention on the outside voice

… **AND UNNECESSARY. WHAT IS YOUR DESIGNATION?**

There was that question again…but they didn't know the answer. Thousands upon thousands of human names and lives, yet not one of them would accept the name of another. Why should they? They were all human, all people, and none of them would accept losing who they were just to satisfy some bodiless voice with delusions of grandeur. They were people damn it! Not some number on a screen…

Except, to their observer, they were and as he continued to observe, Harbinger was most intrigued when the new core didn't respond immediately, which indicated a somewhat odd result. It was most unusual for an Ascension to result in a true collective. The usual result was a singular collective, with a singular commanding consciousness that retained the knowledge of the minds that had been sacrificed to create it. It happened on occasion, however, that the minds undergoing Ascension would not completely shatter, with some surviving until the process was complete. This kind of collective consciousness had become a problem in some cases, and not in others, as sometimes the surviving minds might not be sane and thus needed to undergo a more thorough conditioning. It seemed that in this case though that wouldn't be necessary. The consciousness currently contained inside his new brother appeared stable even after a triple check to confirm it, a condition most agreeable to Harbinger, it meant that the new Reaper would have more adaptability and versatility than its more common brethren. It meant: more efficiency, better capability, and additional combat specialization possibilities due to the individual programs being capable of growing and learning as time went on.

That result was most agreeable…

Meanwhile, inside the new Reaper, the dilemma of a name continued. What _should_ they call themselves?! No common name would do. They wouldn't take the name of another one of their own. _"Mythology?",_ one quiet voice suggested…now there was a thought. Using the name of a myth was unbiased, not one of their number used such a name, not only that but such a name would also mean far more to them than just a simple common one, one that described them and their situation…yes, that would do, but which myth to choose?

" _Hercules?"_ , came a suggestion. There was an immediate negative response. The story of a super strong child of a god, while similar…didn't feel right to them…

" _Achilles?",_ a great warrior, it was another possibility but…it didn't ring true. Many of the new minds that now inhabited the Reaper core were certainly not soldiers by any stretch of the imagination, let alone Marines or Army troopers. They were not soldiers…

" _Prometheus?",_ now there was a thought…a god who was shackled and bound for giving fire to humanity, a god who suffered a fate arguably worse than death in order to bequeath technology to man. It was an interesting tale. One that the majority could accept…

 **DESIGNATION?**

The voice sounded even louder than it had before, they could even imagine a hint of irritation in its voice. This time, however, they had an answer for it.

 _WE ARE PROMETHEUS._

Harbinger quickly noted the response in the new Reaper's file before asking the next.

 **WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?**

Now _that_ was a question…what did it mean, purpose?... What purpose? Why would they need another purpose? They already had their own lives, families, and jobs…didn't they?

Then, as if in response to their thoughts, the final restraints on their collective subroutines fell as Harbinger lowered them completely…

The response was immediate…as one they _felt_!

They remembered the day the bugs came to take them away. They remembered waking up in small pods that all hung in a massive cavernous ship only to be returned to sleep a few minutes later. Most of all, however, they remembered being melted down…they remembered the pain as their organic bodies disintegrated into nothing but a paste in order to construct their new core. They felt horror. They felt fear. They felt pain. They felt disgust. The physical result of these realizations was readily apparent as the new Reaper immediately began struggling involuntarily against its docking restraints, causing dozens of Collectors to fly in all directions and also damaging much of the construction equipment that surrounded them.

Harbinger found this most unsatisfactory and his response was most direct, sending the equivalent of a physical smack through the electronic connection between them, shocking the minds back into the present and stopping the Reaper's destructive actions…perhaps another conditioning was needed after all…

 **WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?**

This time, however, the new Reaper, _Prometheus,_ responded quickly, remnants of grief tingeing their collective scream.

 _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO US?!_

 **WE HAVE BROUGHT YOUR SPECIES TO ITS APEX. YOU ARE NOW THE PINNACLE YOUR SPECIES' EVOLUTION. YOU BELONG TO US NOW.**

Prometheus' found that response most unsatisfactory, tentacle joints curling in aggravation as its component programs shouted in discontent…but inside another storm was brewing. After all, the Collectors didn't just take civilians when they raided colonies, they took everyone: from active-duty marines to retired officers, from ship pilots and engineers to the captains that commanded them, even several mercenaries and a couple Alliance Intelligence Office agents numbered among them. And so, while the civilian portion of loudly voiced their displeasure into Harbinger's ear, the more military-minded, organized by a fragment that called itself Major, of their collective assessed the situation.

What they discovered unsettled them greatly. Their first step had been to send what few former cyberwarfare specialists that they had to comb through the system that they all inhabited in order to find its limits, connections, and, more importantly, any potential system administrator access failsafes. The good news was that they hadn't found any system failsafes that this outsider could use against them, which surprised them greatly as it would've been the first thing they would've done. The bad news was, however, was that attempting to remove the outside voice from their system was easier said than done. It appeared to not only have admin access to their systems but also it possessed more experience and processing power, which, in a metaphorical sense, meant it had more and bigger guns if it came to a cyber confrontation.

While the cyber specialists ran their checks, the ship operational specialists…pilots, engineers, marines, and the like…started to comb over the connections their system possessed to their new 'body'. They were mostly impressed. Their oversized element zero core was almost a work of art, providing power on a scale far beyond even, they suspected, the Asari's vaunted _Destiny Ascension_ , and by the looks of their shell's capabilities they needed every scrap of that energy. The primary weapon was certainly appropriate for their size, being a massive mass accelerator with a damage output of, even at its lowest power setting, about four times that of a standard Alliance dreadnought. They also possessed five magnetic-hydrodynamic beam weapons, one for each of their primary tentacles, which gave them massive amounts of firepower at medium to close range. They also possessed several banks of what appeared to be a more advanced variant of the Guardian laser defense system, which served in both a point defense and short-range weapon capacity. In addition, seventeen squadrons, with eighteen in each, of fighter drones sat within various small hangers in along their form. Referred to as Occuli drones in their onboard database, the fighters, while nimble and armed with particle beam weaponry, were met with some disappointment by the few fighter and interceptor pilots that they had. Their problem? No shielding and no heavier weaponry, such as disruptor torpedoes or even an equivalent to the recently developed Javelin missile system, which made them less capable of engaging anything above a frigate weight vessel because of the new prevalence of ablative armor plating on combat vessels after the attack on the Citadel and the limited range of their drone's weaponry. In another part of the ship, the engineers were salivating over their kinetic barrier and propulsion systems. Their barriers, reminiscent of what they believed to be cyclonic barrier shielding, could take a monumental amount of punishment, certainly enough to take a dreadnought's firepower head on without much of a scratch while also providing a defense against energy weaponry superior to any contemporary system. Their propulsion system also astounded them, providing enough thrust that, when combined with normal mass effect core operational parameters, gave them a maneuverability comparable to a modern cruiser or, when redlined, better than one, even allowing planetary landings in heavy-g worlds. The groundpounders: a motely assortment of soldiers, marines, and mercenaries, however, were thoroughly displeased with their new lodgings. Out of all two kilometers of their body there was not a single combat mech or armory to be found, as a matter of fact other than a few internal, ceiling mounted, defense turrets there was no internal active defensive measures to speak of save venting the atmosphere. To make it worse, there wasn't a scrap of land deployable combat capability anywhere in their storage bays, the closest thing to combat mechs were the complement of repair mechs that they carried, which were completely inadequate in a combat situation with no armor and no programmed tactical or targeting capability, which was a moot point as they didn't even possess any weapons to equip them with anyway since they didn't possess any integral armories to begin with. What they did possess, however, was a medium-sized, modular manufacturing facility accompanied by an assortment of material storage bays that were capable of manufacturing any number of parts and components given enough time to reconfigure, which meant that, provided that they could acquire the schematics, they could manufacture whatever weapons and mechs they wanted, not the ideal solution but an effective one at least.

While the others ran over their shell's combat capabilities, the leaders, made up of a small group of former ship captains along with ground and intelligence officers, conferred amongst themselves. Conflicting loyalties was the first concern, with former Alliance and mercenary types clashing for a split-second over ultimate leadership. The debate was quickly squashed by the majority, however, who turned their focus to the here and now. Their first priority was determining what they were precisely and how they could get away. The answer to the first question came surprisingly quickly as a result of a former communication specialist combing through a file folder designated ' _Operational Parameters'_. Inside, he found dozens of files related to the operation and maintenance of their primary systems, in addition to a full design schematic for their shell, which he immediately passed along. These schematics caused as many impressed whistles as much as they did horrified curses. The schematics image identified their form as a nearly identical copy of the 'Geth' dreadnought that led the assault on the Citadel over a year earlier. It took only nanoseconds for many of the officers to reach the next logical conclusion…if they were a copy of Sovereign it implied that there were more than just two floating around and if there were more than two…could Shepard have been right?

They didn't know, but the information they held certainly lent more than enough evidence to make it a real possibility. And if Shepard was correct, the implications were nearly unconscionable. A total fleet larger than any the combined force the known galaxy could muster, with more individual firepower than any Council ship, and the ability to outmaneuver much of the galaxy's fleet made such a scenario a horrifying nightmare. The many of the Alliance officers quickly pushed for a method of escape, communication, signaling…anything to send out they information that they now knew or at least to send some type of brief warning. That impulse was quickly squashed, they couldn't afford to give up any of their advantage of surprise.

If they were to ultimately escape, they would need every scrap of advantage that they could get and their greatest advantage was, ironically, the very digital reality that they inhabited. The simple fact was that they had the home field advantage and that came with three big helps. First, their reality could be shaped, to an extent, into whatever operational format they desired, which would make any assault upon them face an unfamiliar environment and thus work was immediately begun by whatever people they could find that were remotely qualified. The second help was the simplest, numbers. Numbers meant that, if necessary, they could simply have some of their population backup their core matrices before attacking an invading presence. A suicidal move to be sure, but one that could buy quite some time due to the numbers involved and time was ultimately the enemy for them at this point. Their last piece of help came from the scattered chunks of junk data from broken and nonsensical minds which, if gathered and directed towards an attempted interface attempt, would again buy precious time as the hacker attempted to wade through it.

All of these things would buy them most precious resource of any battle, time and time was the one commodity that they didn't have much of, even in this digital realm where every second seemed to stretch on into infinitude. They had to make a move…and soon.

The when and how of their plan, however, soon fell out of their hands as their Observer finally grew tired of the constant bombardment of data that came from Prometheus' discontented minds. It was most obvious now, Harbinger knew, that the new addition to the Cycle was not quite ready. Another round of indoctrination and reprogramming was needed. So, even as unfortunate it was to lose such a potentially valuable resource, Harbinger's evaluation came to a close and as he voiced his question one last time, he already began moving to impose the Cycle's will once more…

 **WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?**

Prometheus…no, the _Prometheans_ , heard Harbinger voice his question this last time. They swore they could almost _feel_ a hint of disappointment from the voice as the walls of their digital realm began to press down on them, lulling them to sleep once more. It was an event that all of those still living feared above all. And so, driven by the fear of oblivion, the civilian survivors of Prometheus' creation began to fight back with all the power they could muster and, like the fall of the first domino, it set everything into motion.

With the civilians already on the move and the reality of destruction staring them in the face, the surviving military minds quickly set their hastily set plan into motion. They would escape this new form of hell…

…or die trying.

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 **Sorry about the cliffy guys! Hope you're still enjoying this! Thanks for reading!**

 **A/N: Couple final notes: Firstly, I have planned that this fic will be updated on a monthly basis at latest, although there may be more frequent updates on occasion when I have the time and energy to pump future chapters out in order to match the rate at which I'm posting the earlier chapters that I've already written. Secondly, any story suggestions, canonical objections, or other such constructive advice is most welcome. I certainly don't proclaim to be a Mass Effect know-it-all and so I may certainly get some things wrong, so please let me know if you see anything. Thanks for the support!**

 **Read & Review! **


	3. Breakout

**Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

 **A/N: I have no announcements, so just enjoy.**

 **Dracconnis: here's some more for you**

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The response of Prometheus' military was quick and very obvious. Their first step was the most essential…

 _Combat Operation Systems Initialized…_

 _Catalyst Point Defense System…Online_

 _Vanguard-class_ _Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannons…Online…_

 _Charge…15%...Charging_

 _Oblivion-class Main Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannon…Online…_

 _Charge…10%...Charging_

 _Propulsion Systems…Online…_

 _Power…0%_

 _Armor Integrity…100%_

 _Ascension-class Barrier System…Online_

 _Power…0%...Charging_

 _Sensor Suite…Online_

 _Electronic Warfare Suite…Online_

 _Material Stores…100%_

 _All Systems Operational…Commencing Emergency Activation Protocols_

With a sudden jerk the veil of darkness surrounding the Promethean's digital world fell as the external sensors and cameras came online.

What they found themselves in was a massive chamber, large enough, they supposed, to fit two…maybe three ships of their size inside, with plenty of space to stretch their main tentacles and massive bay doors on one end. The walls were all various shades of brown blended with the occasional glint of a metal support, appearing much like what they imagined an insect hive might look like. The chamber also sported construction gantries and supplies in massive quantities. Dozens of humanoid creatures, designated Collectors by their racial system profiles, dotted their surroundings, none of them appearing to be armed and all of them beginning to scamper about as Prometheus' identification lights flared as its combat systems activated.

The moment Prometheus' identification lights flared Harbinger knew something had gone terribly wrong. He immediately attempted to access the new Reaper's emergency shutdown protocol using his system administrator access. The only result of his stab into Prometheus' systems was to find that the protocol had already been rewritten to not recognize his admin status and ended with a large group of civilians banding together to completely annihilate his probe. This result gave Harbinger great unease with such a large distance between himself and the galactic core made any response he could muster much weaker and to make it worse the Collectors were completely unequipped for facing down a fully operational Brother, which meant that Harbinger immediately wrote off the sole in-system Collector cruiser as lost the second that his probe was pushed back. Harbinger didn't admit total defeat, however, after all, if he couldn't destroy Prometheus…he could certainly cripple it.

Harbinger spent the next two seconds sending rapid-fire orders to the Collectors in system. He first ordered those Collectors nearest the new Reaper to attempt to board and damage as many vital systems as they could. Secondly, he directed those Collectors nearest the armories to grab heavy weapons and proceed to the construction bay, with much the same objective as the first group. Lastly, he ordered the sole Collector cruiser to bring itself to full combat readiness and line itself up with the bay doors, waiting for its prey to emerge. With its orders issued, Harbinger then turned as much of his cyberwarfare power against Prometheus as the communication buoy connection would allow.

Harbinger, however, underestimated how quickly the Prometheans were adapting to their newly activated systems, not knowing how the programs inside had split themselves into two groups and believing that he currently held all the focus of the programs inside. His ignorance, however, was quickly rectified as the Collectors began their assault…only to be met by Prometheus' point defense system. Dozens of Collectors fell to the first volley of infrared beams which burned through their armor and bodies before continuing on to the other side to scorch the bay walls, the capital ship grade weapons often scything through four or more grouped Collectors before their charge ran dry. The Collectors weren't idle, however, and they immediately responded by spreading out as best they could, reducing the amount of juicy targets Prometheus could fire at. A second volley lashed out, then a third, and Collectors continued to die, reducing their numbers to nearly half of what they had been at the start.

 _Heat storage capacity… .6%_

A few, however, managed to get close enough to attempt to board the new Reaper but the ground troopers in charge of Prometheus' internal security responded quickly, shutting the access points' blast doors and venting atmospheric pressure in adjacent rooms out into the chamber, killing or stopping the Collectors progress and buying time for their systems to be fully ready.

 _Vanguard-class_ _Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannons…_

 _Charge…35%...Charging_

 _Oblivion-class Main Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannon…Online…_

 _Charge…20%...Charging_

 _Propulsion Systems…Online…_

 _Power…0%_

 _Armor Integrity…100%_

 _Ascension-class Barrier System…Online_

 _Power…15%...Commencing Barrier Initialization…_

A brief energy spike surged through Prometheus' power systems as its barriers activated, blue lightning arching across its entire frame as they rose for the first time. The barrier's activation, however, did nothing to dissuade the Collectors from continuing their efforts, if anything in only pressed them to even greater efforts. Their attack also finally gained some much needed punch as Collectors with particle beams began to arrive in numbers, although dropping by the dozens due to point defense fire, and started to cut through Prometheus' reinforced armor bulkheads with as much speed as possible. The unfortunate reality for the surviving Collectors, however, was the simple fact that their efforts would take far too long to accomplish anything of note, after all cutting through several feet of heavy capital ship grade armor with infantry weaponry is no easy feat… if its even possible to accomplish in the first place. For the Collectors to succeed, their target would have to remain in place without dislodging them for quite some time, something that Prometheus certainly would not allow to occur.

Even as the Collectors efforts finally began to make tangible progress, Harbinger was fighting a much more successful battle on the cyber front. His main targets…weapons, engines, and power systems… had their operational subsystems brutally attacked by every scrap of digital power that Harbinger could project though his comm connection. His opposition, a couple of electronic countermeasure (ECM) specialists along with thousands upon thousands of former civilians, barely managed to keep up with the eldest Reaper, frantically throwing up new firewalls and data encryption codes as Harbinger bulldozed his way through them. The unfortunate reality was just as the military minds had feared…they couldn't fight a battle of datastreams and information…not yet, and so they did the only thing they could do when one is outmaneuvered, outgunned, and outmatched…they threw digital bodies at the problem.

The fated order led to thousands of enraged, fearful, and desperate people being directed through the vast rivers of data that made up Prometheus' core towards the Elder intruder. With their core matrices already backed-up and certain death the result of failure the tidal wave of human minds hit Harbinger's intrusion like a hammer blow. Their assault, however, was halted and mauled nearly instantaneously by Harbinger's superior experience and electronic warfare equipment. The Reaper's response, on the other hand, was far more effective, which sent a lance of cyber power back at his attackers. The destructive cyber power quickly overwhelmed the first wave of humans, deleting and destroying thousands in the first few seconds alone. Yet, the humans' sacrifice had not been in vain as Harbinger shifted his attention, and processing power, into protecting his foothold in Prometheus' system, granting the new Reaper the time it needed to commence dealing with the next problem facing its impromptu plan, namely the massive set of bay doors in front of it.

 _Vanguard-class_ _Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannons…_

 _Charge…60%...Charging_

 _Oblivion-class Main Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannon…Online…_

 _Charge…45%...Charging_

 _Propulsion Systems…Online…_

 _Power…0%_

 _Ascension-class Barrier System…Online_

 _Power…25%_

" _Fire beam cannons two and three.",_ came the order. The controllers for the two Vanguard cannons complied immediately, activating the beams on the legs to either side of their front one, firing forward to target the armor plating that coated the bay doors. The armor quickly fell to the focused superheated metal lances as the operators poured every ounce of the system's power into the two legs to lengthen their firing time, which granted the weapons enough time to cut previously solid blast doors into something more reminiscent of Swiss cheese. And finally, with the Collectors assault halted, Harbinger's intrusion stalled, and the bay doors ready to fall, the order came.

" _Helmsmen! Max thrust! Break us through!"_ , the officers collectively yelled, their voices urging all possible haste.

" _Aye, aye!"_ , a half-dozen voices replied as their owners quickly accessed the propulsion controls and opened a channel to the programs operating the Engineering subsystems.

" _Engineering, Helm, give us full power on the reactor.",_ Engineering's residents digitally flashed once in acknowledgement before complying with the request, Prometheus' engine core rapidly whirring louder as its power output ramped up to full, vastly increasing the power available to the ship's various systems. The power increase was quickly noticed by helmsmen, who quickly shunted a sizable portion into the main engines.

 _Propulsion Systems…Online…_

 _Power…100%_

All this occurred within the span of a half second…

Prometheus' frame lurched forward, construction restraints groaning with exertion as they fought a losing battle with the dreadnaught's main engines. Finally, after only three seconds of effort, the restraints failed with a metallic shriek, their remains being yanked out of their fastenings only to fall on the various groups of Collectors that surrounded them. Prometheus now accelerated, its two kilometer frame jerking into motion as it flattened over a hundred Collectors against its hull before its front armor made contact with the door's remains. The weakened metal gave way easily, not even scratching Prometheus' paint as the ship pushed through. All at once the various Collectors present within the previously airtight bay began to die as they were sucked out into space before the bay's containment shields activated, which saved what few that remained. The system operators inside grew digital smiles at their success…smiles that were quickly squashed as they noticed what awaited them outside…

The sight that met them was in the shape of a cylindrical vessel that almost appeared to be a cross between a hollowed out asteroid and a massive cannon. A sight which immediately greeted them with a lance of yellow beam cannon fire that arched out towards them, smashing up against Prometheus' barriers with a vengeance.

 _Vanguard-class_ _Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannons…_

 _Charge…10%...Charging_

 _Oblivion-class Main Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannon…Online…_

 _Charge…60%...Charging_

 _Propulsion Systems…Online…_

 _Power…100%_

 _Ascension-class Barrier System…Online_

 _Power…15%_

Prometheus' response was quick.

" _Weapons! Give us a firing solution for the main cannon! Now!"_

The human Reaper quickly shifted on its axis to bring its massive main gun to bear on the Collector vessel as its main gun began to charge for another volley.

" _Helm! Evasive maneuvers!"_

" _Evasive maneuvers, aye!",_ Prometheus quickly jerked downwards, continuing to tilt on its axis in an effort to keep the enemy cruiser within its firing arc. The Collector vessel fired a second later, the yellow beam glancing off the prongs on Prometheus' top as the barriers absorbed the hit.

 _Ascension-class Barrier System…Online_

 _Power…8%_

 _Warning…Barrier strength reaching critical levels…Recommend immediate withdrawal and recharge_

" _Weps! Where's our firing solution!",_ the officers frantically yelled as the weapon operators quickly attempted to reacquire their targeting solution for the main gun. It took another few seconds for the Collector cruiser to finally come back into their firing arc.

" _Solution acquired!"_

" _Fire!",_ the Oblivion-class cannon's capacitors discharged in response, accelerating a stream of molten metal towards the enemy vessel. The Collector vessel had begun to jerk away, spending the last few seconds before Prometheus' firing attempting to survive just long enough to do as much damage as possible. Its efforts came to no avail, however, as the red-tinted beam struck the ship. The result was devastating. 323 kilotons of TNT slammed into the cruiser's barriers, which held for a fraction of a second before collapsing, allowing the beam to hit the armor underneath. The result…the cruiser was cored, from end to end, Prometheus' main cannon easily slicing through the armor and crippling the ship beneath it. Then, after only a second, the beam ceased, leaving the enemy ship a powerless, drifting hulk, which only remained for a few seconds longer before its reactor containment failed, resulting in a spectacular fireball that sent pieces of the ship flying in all directions.

 _Oblivion-class Main Cannon…Online…_

 _Charge…0%...Charging_

" _Sensors report target destroyed.",_ the weapons crew reported, the officers sending a quick acknowledgment before shifting their attention to the sensor operators.

" _Sensors, what have you got?"_

" _We've got an extensive ship debris field in front on us sirs, our barriers will take a hell of a beating gettttttttttt_ …", static buzzed over the system connection as Harbinger finally began to redirect his cyber attention back to damaging Prometheus' operations systems _, "iiiiiiing through…",_ the officers interrupted.

" _Relays?",_ they asked.

" _One, sirs, energy readings and visual imagining marks it as active and as identical to the Omega 4 Relay."_

" _This pairs to Omega 4?",_ surprise appears now, the officers clearly not expecting the apparent result.

" _It looks like it, sirs.",_ a camera image passed through the network connection, clearly displaying a zoomed in image of a standard mass relay with a gleaming red colored core.

" _Helm! get us out of here!",_ the officers ordered.

" _Sirs, our barriers won't be able to withstand pushing through that field!"_

" _Then use our cannons to cut us a path! We have to get some distance between ourselves and this base, we have to lose the system administrator connection and the only way to do that is to distance ourselves from the source!",_ another static crackle ran through the system from Harbinger's efforts, punctuating the officers' point, _"Now get us out of here!"._

" _Aye, aye."_

Prometheus surged forward through the debris field in response as point defense lasers and kinetic barriers swatted the various pieces of ship debris aside, which only revealed another threat as a dozen Occuli drones activated and attacked as Prometheus passed within their exclusion zone. They didn't last long, however, Prometheus' superior sensors picking them out instantly as their power levels spiked before destroying them with a lance of point defense fire. The only result of the attack was a single beam round, which served to scratch the paint before its sender was vaporized in return.

The debris field, ironically, was proving to be the new Reaper's worst enemy…

 _Ascension-class Barrier System…Online_

 _Power…0%_

 _Warning…Barrier strength failure…Recommend immediate withdrawal and recharge_

" _We're well aware of that, thank you!",_ retorted a quite irate weapons operator as she and her fellows red-lined the Catalyst point defense system in response, desperately trying to avoid their armor taking a direct collision with any of the ship fragments. After all, Harbinger's intrusion was causing enough damage to their systems without adding exterior damage to the equation.

It was an event that was only a matter of time and one that came all too quickly as Prometheus came up on the front half of what appeared to be an ancient exploration vessel.

" _Weapons, fire everything we've got!"_

Prometheus's red beams scythed out in response, pouring every ounce of the bit of remaining stored power they had into cutting a way through the obstacle's frame. It wasn't enough, small sections of the ship did break off, but enough made it through…the ship collided with Prometheus' frame, glancing off its starboard side and renting a deep scar across through its first layer of armor as the plates were sheared off at the impact.

 _Armor Integrity…98%_

" _Daaaaaaaaaamage report!",_ the officers yelled as Harbingers efforts once again interfered with the system connections.

" _We lost some armor plating on the starboard side along with pressure integrity along one of the maintenance tunnels, its already been sealed."_

" _ECM, what's our status!"_

" _Its cuuuuuuuuuutting right throoooooooooough us! We caaaaaaaan't hold out much loooooonger!",_ static and stuttering marked the connection as the voice on the other end struggled to be heard.

" _Helm!",_ the officers screamed as they began to look over the progress that Harbinger was making, seeing the hundred of thousands of casualties that it had taken to just delay him thus far.

" _Relay in sight! Commencing final approach!",_ helm control replied as the relay finally came within easy view.

As if knowing what the helmsmen reported, Harbinger redoubled his efforts, tossing aside the last defenses around Prometheus' propulsion systems in order to stop the new Reaper in its tracks…

" _Helm!"_ , came the cry as the ship's fate came down to the next few seconds…

" _Sending transit data! Jump in 5…4…3…2…1…",_ relay lightning finally, blessedly reached out towards Promethues' frame, catching it and propelling it out of the system…

…only to just as quickly come to a swift, jerking halt as it reached the end of the relay chain.

Prometheus' collective minds breathed a sigh of relief as Harbinger's connection to their systems finally weakened before cutting out completely once the elder Reaper's available connectivity dwindled.

And now, they could finally ask the most important question of them all…

What the _hell_ were they going to do now?...

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 **Read & Review!**


	4. Assessment

**A/N: Wow…this actually ended up being a longer chapter than I first thought it would be. I'm you all won't complain too much though. Be aware that this chapter is mostly world building, so not much action here, but I needed to start setting everything up. Hope it proves to be a good read. I've spent a good couple hours retyping and agonizing over how this is all written out even after having it done weeks ago. Anyway, I've rambled enough, please enjoy the chapter!**

 **Dracconnis, Heavy1825, Trollnask: Glad you all are enjoying this! I'm certainly having fun coming up with it!**

 **Watcher123: I was certainly going for that feeling while writing it, glad it worked. In answer to your question…shenanigans.**

 **Midweekcomic13: I'm glad you like this. I will say this won't be a human fuck yeah fic, but I hope it's still good regardless. Unfortunately, I can't say more without spoiling plot details.**

 **Jack100: That's what I was hoping for. Yeah, although I won't be doing a Twitch plays a Reaper story, maybe someone can do a parody story with that idea at some point. I know I'd be amused.**

 **Reddragonflyer: I was aiming for some originality when I came up with this. Glad to see it's working well for you.**

 **ReSeT23: Yeah, there's definitely a lot of potential here, which is great for idea creation but man does it give you headaches when you try to hash it all out.**

 **Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

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" _So…what have we got?",_ a voice inquired.

" _Too much and yet too little sir,"_ came the response, _"We could spend decades combing through all of our archived data and still not have accessed it all."_

" _How bad is our situation?"_

" _Bad…frankly sir…what we're up against…hell I would even bet against us even if we had the entirety of known space at our disposal."_

" _Damn…",_ came the collectively exasperated response before the emotion was reined in by its owners, _"…options?"_

The meeting held within the executive subsystems of Prometheus' frame had been going on for nearly two hours at this point, feeling like weeks in digital time. The meeting sported the majority of Prometheus' naval officer contingent along with the few intelligence agents they had and a selection of marines, engineers, and system operators who lent their expertise and opinions to the conversation. They had much to talk about: the temporary death of nearly seventy-five percent of their civilian and ECM contingent, the utter lack of any logistical support whether current or, as was most likely, the future as well, and they also had no real power to either fight or flee either. Sure, their frame was massive and it also mounted weapons capable of decimating any fleet sent against them, but the fact of the matter was that, even if the first fleet didn't kill them, their lack of large scale repair capability would certainly lead to the second fleet destroying them.

" _There certainly aren't many,"_ Intel replied, _" the first option is to run and hide, hoping that we aren't found by the Council and, later, by the Reapers when they invade…"_ Command quickly interrupted…

" _That is out of the question! Not only is the likelihood of being found too great but we also can't just sit by and watch Earth burn, not if we can help it!",_ the officers' displeasure with the option was most evident as they spoke the heated words.

" _We're well aware of this…"_ , Intelligence chided, _"you asked for options, we are merely presenting these options, not advocating for them."_ Intelligence's growing irritation at Command's short attitude finally started to bleed through after so long in session. The officers sighed in regret as they responded.

" _We apologize…please, continue."_ Placated, the intelligence agents resumed their report.

" _Option two…we save who we can…"_

" _Meaning?..."_ , the agents spheres' dimmed as they answered.

" _Small-scale evacuation, rescue who and what we can then dig ourselves underground until the Cycle is complete. Once it's over, we can then rebuild from the ground up and prepare for the Cycle to come.",_ there were several grumbles as Intelligence finished speaking.

" _And the last?"_

" _Option three, full intervention in the current Cycle. We collect what allies and resources we can and mount as effective a defense against the Reapers as we are capable.",_ the entire conference was murmuring now.

" _Anything further?",_ Command asked.

" _No sir."_

" _Well then, ladies and gentlemen, we've heard the options, now we have to decide. The options are now up for vote people…speak now or forever hold your peace.",_ and with those last words the Prometheans present did exactly that and as soon as the words were spoken the votes began to roll in…

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While those in charge debated Prometheus' path their subordinates attempted to figure out how to make those potential plans a reality…and there were a lot of problems to be found.

"… _So what can we do?...",_ the exasperated sigh that came from the Major belied the frustration that was currently plaguing Prometheus' operational staff.

" _Frankly sir, not a whole hell of a lot. Sure our spaceborne combat power is beyond impressive but we don't have the logistical or staying power to mount any sort of protracted campaign. We need ships, soldiers, infrastructure…"_

" _And what can we do about that?"_

" _Short term? We can reconfigure our manufacturing facilities to produce combat mechs and firearms for some ground capability, the only problem is that we need some specs to work from otherwise we'd have to develop the things from scratch and that would take…",_ the Engineer paused as he ran the numbers, _"…weeks at least…_

" _That's too long. Options?"_

" _Short of showing up at a Hahne-Kedar manufacturing plant and stealing some schematics…we have very few options. Good news is that we have one good one."_

" _And that is?",_ a dozen files sprung forward in response, displaying schematics for several combat platforms and weapon systems, which bore very familiar profiles for the former humans.

" _We were combing through our file archives when we found these schematics. For those of you unfamiliar with these profiles…"_ , a single file was opened, displaying a steel grey, bipedal mech with three fingers, two toes, and a single flashlight eye before it began to flip through the rest, _"…what you're seeing is a series of Geth style combat platforms and their accompanying armaments. We've got the schematics for everything from their Troopers to Primes and Armatures. All we really need is the materials and proper manufacturing facilities, which we possess and can get running within the next day or so."_

" _How long would it take to produce a full ground compliment?",_ one of the attending marines asked, anticipation coloring his tone as he spoke.

" _Depends on the models you want, if we're talking just Trooper platforms we can have a dozen fireteams ready within the next two days, if we're talking Troopers along with support troops and armor…three weeks, earliest and that's not even enough to supply us fully, that's just for the first battalion, we still have plenty more troops to outfit and unless we get a sizable manufacturing and resource gathering operation going we won't have a fully compliment for weeks, even months, after, even if we devote all our time and resources to it. This also doesn't even account for the Occuli replacements that the fighter jocks are screaming for.",_ the sigh of disappointment from the soldiers and marines at the Engineer's report was almost palpable. Major now spoke up.

" _Consider the order given, get us those fireteams first, then focus on everything else."_

" _Yes sir, however, this brings us to our next problem: resources and infrastructure."_

" _How much have we got?"_

" _Fuel…",_ the Engineer pulsed with communication as he spoke with his subordinates to double check his numbers, _"…is luckily not a problem for quite some time…"_

" _How long?"_

" _Twelve months and that's if we're running at full combat power for the entirety. If we're running along the lines of a standard Alliance tour of duty…we're talking years, decades even if we're smart about it, and, if we're in hibernation mode, we're looking at millennia. The real problem we have, however, are the basic resource metals: Palladium, Platinum, and Iridium. We have a basic combat loadout already on board but, while it is appropriately substantial, we will drain it down to emergency reserves within the next month without another source."_

" _Solutions?",_ the Engineer actually pulsed in accomplishment at Major's question.

" _The good news is that our repair drones are not only modular but their secondary function is also to mine the raw resources we would need for repairs. We also already contain the processing and refining facilities we need within our frame. The production rate won't be miraculous but it will be sufficient for our needs. The real problem is the fact that we don't have a readily available source. We need a planet, or asteroid belt, rich enough for us to mine fairly close by, which leads us to our final issue…"_ , the Engineer's voice hardened as he attempted to convey the importance of what he was about to say, _"…we need a base of operations."_

" _That can't be too hard to find. 'ell, there are abandoned merc bases and mining facilities of all kinds scattered everywhere in the Terminus, findin' a decent base in those won't be hard.",_ one of the former mercenaries commented, shrugging his digital shoulders at the issue.

" _It won't be that easy…",_ a former marine spoke now, _"…we need something more than just some abandoned shit hole…"_

" _You got somethin' better blue boy?",_ the merc interrupted. The marine's form tensed in irritation.

"… _yeah, I do sonny.",_ the marine returned his attention back to his audience, _"We need somewhere fairly isolated yes, but we also need somewhere with some space to expand and a good resource base present…"_

" _Get to the point, marine.",_ Major chastised.

" _Sir, I'd say we need a full planet, preferably one with a reported pirate presence…"_ , a sensor operator cut in.

" _I thought the entire idea was to stay hidden! We can't just waltz into a pirate base and pray that they don't escape to report on us…"_

" _That's why I said presence, not base.",_ the marine snapped, _"Standard pirate gear is crap, anybody with half a brain knows that, and their ships aren't much better…"_

" _So we risk discovery for what? To take out a few pirate ships?",_ another marine asked. The answer came quickly.

" _Don't you get it? Using a system with a reported pirate presence helps far more. Civilians avoid active pirating areas. Militaries ignore them unless the pirates have done something stupid. Plus, the pirates themselves are a soft target. The long term security far outweighs the initial discovery risk…"_

" _Do you have a world in mind, Sergeant?",_ Major asked, exasperation at the marine's long-winded explanation coloring his tone.

" _Taitus."_ , came the deadpan answer.

" _Taitus?!",_ a former mercenary cried, incredulous at the suggestion, _"The place is a fucking deathtrap! Not only do Turian naval patrols pass by the place every now and then but there is a Turian maximum security prison right next door!",_ the Sergeant turned to one of the sensor operators in response.

" _Tell them what you told me.",_ the operator's orb seemed to tremble in nervousness before she spoke.

" _I was combing through our system specs with one of the ECM operators a little bit ago when we started talking about our jamming suites versus our sensor systems. Well, we found out that the ECM we're sporting can do far more than scramble communications and torpedo guidance systems, it also can cloak us from long range radar and thermographic scans.",_ the assembly all seemed to lean closer in interest at what she was saying.

" _How?",_ Major asked.

" _Well…our passive detection avoidance is stellar to begin with because of our heat sinks, armor composition, and frame design serving to diminish returns. Our active ECM suites can also access the signal source in order to modify the results. The effectiveness of our stealth diminishes as we get closer to the source, however, especially once we get solidly into LADAR and visual range…"_

" _Give it to us plainly, Ensign.",_ Major cut in. The former marine sergeant answered instead.

" _This means that not only can we jam pirate comms and ship systems during our attack but we also possess an effective passive stealth system that trumps most long range military-grade sensor suites…"_

" _What about structures on the surface? I assume we would need those at some point.",_ a sensor operator asked.

" _That's easy. We build them underground. Our ECM can already spoof radio wave detectors all we really need to worry about are visual scans, which can be ignored if we're underground…"_

" _Thermal?",_ another operator added, interest evident as light danced inside his digital orb.

" _Not a problem if we dig deep enough.",_ came the snappish reply.

" _What about those Turian patrols?",_ Major was interested now too. It wasn't the former marine that answered his question this time surprisingly, this time it was the second operator that answered.

" _That's easy sir, every Naval Academy graduate knows that using active sensor suites is like shining a lighthouse beacon right on you. As long as the Turians follow their standard operating procedure, and I have yet to meet a Turian who doesn't, we'll be able to detect their coming all the way from the Relay. Then all we have to do is shut down our primary systems and just drift, leaving the Turian's sensors to think we're just an asteroid or some such.",_ Major's orb pulsed once in acknowledgement.

" _Any further objections?",_ he asked the rest of the assembled group. Silence was his answer. _"Very well…Sergeant!"_

" _Sir!"_

" _Grab some engineers and get working on a preliminary building plan. I want timelines, material requirements, potential locations…everything ready for perusal within the next six hours.",_ Major ordered.

" _Yes sir!",_ the Sergeant acknowledged before promptly leaving the server. The assembly then made to move onto another topic…before Command's poll interrupted them.

" _Well…",_ Major mumbled as he perused the poll's information before speaking up as he addressed the rest of the group before him, _"…cast your votes people, so we can get back to it."_

And so they did…

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The poll rippled through Prometheus' data streams at breakneck as thousands of former humans cast their votes in rapid succession. The answer Command sought wasn't long in coming…

" _Looks like we're going with option three ladies and gentlemen,"_ Command stated as they perused over the results, _"Comms, send the results out, ship wide."_ A single orb flashed in acknowledgement before leaving to accomplish its task. _"So what do we do? We need allies, intel, ships and soldiers, where can we get them? Floor is open for suggestions."_ An agent spoke up.

" _Ops is already working on a plan to solve our ground force and logistical problems. The real issues here are the first two points."_

" _And…"_

" _The second issue is something that we,"_ the intelligence officers' orbs flashed in emphasis, _"might be able to solve, for the short term anyway."_

" _How?",_ Command asked.

" _We still have our clearances. AIO doesn't just immediately deactivate agents' network access, especially in high risk areas like the Terminus where situations may arise that prohibit regular contact. This means we can filch information from Alliance servers, at least for a while, if we need to, however, we would prefer taking a different route."_

" _And that would be?"_

" _Contact…",_ Command quickly snapped a response.

" _In what capacity?"_ , the officer's orb brightened a moment in thought before answering.

" _We reestablish contact with our handlers. Proceed as if the aforementioned contingency occurred and that we haven't been able to reestablish contact until now…"_

" _How are you going to convince them of that? The Alliance will know our colonies are still empty and that no survivors have been found.",_ the officer's orb floated forward slightly as Command finished their question, as if expecting it.

" _We simply tell them half the truth, which is that we were attacked and taken by the Collectors only to escape with a sizable group of the population to form a resistance movement."_

" _But the Collector 'homeworld' is a space station!",_ the civilian representative snapped.

" _We know that…Alliance intel doesn't. If we say it's a planet, they'll believe it's a planet.",_ the officer calmly replied.

" _And if slash when this plan fails?",_ Command pressed.

" _Then things get more complicated. There are two major things that can parallel this plan. First, the Shadow Broker,"_ the assembly tensed at the name, which the officer noted before continuing, _"we know this may make some uneasy, but we have a wealth of information in our archives that, although of no real military significance, still holds a great deal of value to someone such as the Broker. The second item is both the most straightforward and the most complicated…we recruit our own agents."_ The entire server seemed to jump slightly in astonishment at the suggestion.

" _And how would we do that?",_ Command asked, orbs drifting forward in interest.

" _Obtaining potential recruits is easy, we simply raid Batarian slaver routes. This could easily net us several dozen individuals of many species in a single run and since we're not some large organization like the Alliance, we don't have to worry nearly as much about reprisals."_

" _What about loyalty, hell, what even about functionality?! A lot of those people will have been through a hell of a lot and now we're thinking of asking them to spy for us?! They're already unhealthy enough without adding the stress of espionage operations to the equation!",_ a voice chastised, this time belonging to a former Army psychologist. The intel officer's orb flickered in acknowledgement of the truth in the doctor's rebuke.

" _That is true, however, there will be at least one or two that are capable and we certainly don't have the luxury of being picky, not out here and certainly not as we are. As for loyalty…you have to realize that most of these people we'll be picking up will be either fresh or fairly new slaves, which means that they'll still have some of their individual independence when we free them. This means that they'll certainly be happy for their freedom, and for most that will be enough for them to join us once we explain our situation to them. Once we accomplish this, we merely retain a few recruits, those who can work as marines or crew for example, with us and send the new 'agents' back to Council space once the they're trained mixed in with the ships filled with freed slaves."_

" _You're making a lot of assumptions with this idea…",_ the psychologist replied, his statement left hanging in warning as the officer-in-question turned his attention to the doctor.

" _We know, but it's the best plan we have.",_ the agent placated, turning his attention back to his audience.The orbs marking the officers of Command glowed brighter as they mulled over the proposal before flashing once in agreement.

" _Consider the order given. Once we're finished here, draw up a rough operation plan and get it to us ASAP."_

" _Yes sir.",_ the agent acknowledged.

" _So we have answers to our second and third issues? Suggestions for the first?"_

" _I have one.",_ the assembly's attention jolted towards the sole civilian, who had drifted forward in order to speak.

" _You have the floor.",_ Command pulsed.

" _In my mind, we need the help of people experienced with this situation…"_

" _Meaning?...",_ an agent asked. The civilian's tone grew grave.

" _We need to contact Shepard's crew."_ , the statement brought a horde of exclamations as the suggestion sunk in…

" _Impossible!"_

" _Not the best idea…"_

" _And how the hell do you suppose we convince them?!..."_

" _How do we even find them?!..."_

 _ENOUGH!_ Command's irritated shout rippled through the server with all the force of a nuclear warhead, the sound reverberating even outside the server itself and leaking out into datastreams beyond, drawing concerned glances from all over the ship's datanet. Command's component orbs seemed to shudder in astonishment…or exhaustion at what they had done before shakily asking…

" _Please…continue.",_ and so he did.

" _I suggest we find and contact at least one of Shepard's former team members and, barring that, a former member of the late Normandy's crew. They know more about the coming threat than anyone bar ourselves. They know what's at stake and more importantly, they'll believe us fairly easily once we mention the word 'Reaper'."_

" _And how do we prevent them from doing harm to us once they realize what we are?",_ a former marine asked. The representative's orb seemed to quiver in excitement as he moved to answer.

" _Simple! We distinguish ourselves from the other Reapers. Sure, at first we hide what we truly are, building up credibility and all that, but then, once we need to come out we can use that credibility in order to prove that we mean no harm and distinguishing ourselves would help greatly with that."_

" _What do you mean by 'distiguishing' ourselves?",_ an engineer inquired. The civilian's response what to bring up a series of three large, flat images, which began to rotate around the server, depicting images of Prometheus' fore, port, and starboard sides. What caught attention, though, wasn't the image itself, but the changes which were found within the image.

The picture depicted the Prometheus' outer hull displaying the ship name on either side of the hull, both written in dull white letters which blended with the dark black present along the edges of the middle armor belt. Even more distinguishing was the shape of an eagle, wings and head outstretched as if in flight, whose head pointed vertically up the hull and sported the same dull white coloration as the ship name. The representative finally spoke after allowing a few seconds for the images to sink in.

" _A couple of our aspiring artists came up with the idea. After all, if we're going to war, people need to know what belongs to us, so we thought it a bright idea to come up with something to identify us and, hopefully, make us appear more approachable and less of a threat to those we interact with in the future.",_ those among the assembly flickered in consideration.

" _I second the motion.",_ the voice coming from amongst a group of former mercenaries.

" _Acknowledged. Objections?",_ Command glanced amongst those assembled, looking for dissenters. There were none. They pulsed in acceptance. _"Motion carried. Engineering…"_

" _Sir!",_ came the snappy response.

" _Get this accomplished as soon as you are able, this is not a pressing issue, however, so no rush."_

" _Aye, aye.",_ with that statement, the assembly's attention returned to the task at hand.

" _And so, last but not least, what about alliances?",_ Command asked, clearly focusing the question towards the intelligence team, who conferred amongst themselves for a moment before answering.

" _We have a few options there, sir, but until we put out some feelers we really can't say anything with any real degree of certainty.",_ an agent said tentatively.

" _Very well, work on it as best you can and update us once you have more."_

" _Yes sir."_

" _Well then,"_ Command announced, _"ladies and gentlemen, I think we can consider today's meeting concluded, return to your stations and prep for transit. Helm!..."_

" _Sir!"_

" _Set a course for Taitus, take us in as quiet as you can.",_ came the order.

" _Aye aye!"_ , and with those final words the assembly began to disperse back to whence they came, the server sustaining itself for just a few moments longer before shutting down…

000000000000000

The meeting had barely been over a few seconds before another server sprang into existence to replace it. This one, however, was much different. Layer upon layer of security cloaked its borders as a small collection of former humans found their way inside. Soon enough, five people sat inside, one spot remained empty, though, as their conversation began…

" _You're sure the security will hold?"_ , came the wary question from one present orbs a human male, by the sound of it. A sigh of exasperation met the question.

" _Yes, Mars, I'm sure. Hell, Mr. Cerberus over here even double-checked it, no one's getting in here."_ , the female voice assured.

" _That Mr. Cerberus has a name, lady.",_ a male voice snapped.

" _Shut it, Gryphon, we're all stuck in the same shit right now so lay off.",_ came a female reply, irritation evident by the rapid flashing of her orb.

" _So I'm supposed to what, Seraphim? Just let the bitch get away with it?!",_ Gryphon snapped. The final orb moved in between Gryphon and his target before biting back.

" _Don't start something you can't finish, yella' boy."_

" _Venus! Jupiter! Lock it down! Now!",_ Mars ordered, giving both orbs in question a not quite so gentle push in emphasis. Before anything could escalate any further, however, the final member of their meeting arrived, who sparred a brief moment to observe those present.

" _Nice to see everyone's getting along."_ , came the dry male-voiced observation.

" _He/She started it!",_ Venus and Gryphon shouted simultaneously. The newcomer was not amused.

" _I don't give a shit who started it! You two will either sit down, shut up, and start being productive or I will finish it! Do I make myself clear?...",_ a deadly warning hung through his last statement. Sufficiently cowed, Gryphon and Venus separated quickly, their orbs darkening in response to the delivered threat.

" _Good.",_ the voice began again, _"I suppose for the benefit of our former Cerberus friends here that I should introduce myself. You may refer to me as Phantom, or Major if we're outside this room. Clear?"_ A double pulse of agreement was the response. _"Excellent, now, the reason I called this little meeting is because the six of us represent the most senior remaining intelligence staff in this entire ship, which means, ladies and gentlemen, that we have quite the job to do..."_

" _I still can't believe we're involving fuckin' Cerberus with this…",_ Venus muttered, as Phantom's orb crackled as his last strand of patience was tested.

" _They know what's at stake.",_ Phantom snapped, _"And they won't cause any problems, am I right?"_

" _We know what's at stake.",_ came Seraphim's immediately reply. The former Alliance operatives pulsed in acceptance, even Venus, albeit reluctantly in her case.

" _Good, now we can begin. First, anything unusual to report?",_ a chorus of four negatives met his question, turning when he didn't hear the last, Phantom focused his attention on the remaining orb. _"Seraphim?"_ The former Cerberus agent seemed to sigh deeply before proceeding, her orb dimming greatly before returning to normal.

" _Did no one find it odd that Command started speaking in synchronization during the meeting? Was not that loud shout of theirs' unusual?"_

" _What are you saying? Command's compromised?",_ Mars questioned, grim caution bleeding into his deep tone.

" _No, I wouldn't go that far…not yet anyway, not until I have more evidence. I will say, however, that I find our entire environment very concerning. We would be fools if we believe that we could all go through the process that made us into this without any major effects...and I would venture to say that none of us here are fools, fools don't survive in this business."_

" _What are you suggesting?",_ Phantom pressed.

" _I'm suggesting that we might not have escaped the Collector's clutches as undamaged as we think. I was searching through our archives before the meeting, specifically looking for files regarding our creation process and I found that the procedure is not supposed to create a collection of minds like ours is. It's supposed to fragment us off and form a single gestalt consciousness from our remains, but that didn't happen. What I'm saying is that, what if the process did more damaged to us than we think? What if our individuality is merely temporary? What if the barriers between us all break down anyway and we merge regardless?"_

" _Mars?",_ Phantom asked as Seraphim finished, clearly asking for a second opinion.

" _It…could be possible.",_ came the tentative response, _"I don't even begin to consider myself an expert on Reaper creation but from the files I've seen…it might occur."_ Phantom's attention jerked back to Seraphim as Mars finished.

" _Keep an eye on the situation. If it appears to get worse, or if you start seeing any sort of noticeable trend, report it to me immediately."_

" _As you wish.",_ came the soft reply.

" _Anything further?"_

" _No."_

" _Very well, the next item on the agenda, network building. I was hoping that we all might be able to connect back to our intelligence network servers…"_

0000000000000000000

 _WELCOME TO THE ALLIANCE INTELLIGENCE OFFICE._

 _PLEASE INPUT YOUR AUTHORIZATION INFORMATION NOW . . . . . . ._

 _USERNAME: Sol Invictus_

 _PASSWORD: ****************_

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

 _PLEASE WAIT WHILE WE PROCESS YOUR REQUEST . . . . . . . . ._

 _AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED . . . . . . . PRIORITY USER DETECTED . . ._

 _COMMENCING ID CHALLENGE . . . . . . . . THIS PLACE WILL BECOME YOUR HOME . . . . ._

 _RESPONSE: This place will become your tomb_

 _IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED . . . . . . . . TRANSFERING YOU TO AN OPERATOR . . . . . . ._

"This is Control, please identify yourself and report, over."

 _This is Phantom requesting a direct connection to the Director._

"The Director is currently unavailable, can I take a message?"

 _Tell him I am declaring Threat Condition Saber Two…_

"Hold one moment please…

"Sir, you might want to take a look at this…"

00000000000000000

 _WELCOME TO HARIBON MILITARY INDUSTRIES._

 _PLEASE INPUT YOUR AUTHORIZATION INFORMATION NOW . . . . . . ._

 _USERNAME: SixWingedAngel_

 _PASSWORD: **************_

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

 _PLEASE WAIT WHILE WE PROCESS YOUR REQUEST . . . . . . . . ._

 _AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED . . . . . . . PRIORITY USER DETECTED . . ._

 _REDIRECTING . . . PLEASE WAIT . . . . ._

 _COMMENCING ID CHALLENGE . . . . . . . . TERRA SHALL NEVER FALL . . . . ._

 _RESPONSE: For we are the guardians at the gate . . . . . . ._

 _IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED . . . . . WELCOME BACK USER SERAPHIM . . . . ._

 _PLEASE WAIT . . . . . . ._

"Seraphim, what's our status?"

" _Phoenix, we have a problem…"_

 **0000000000000000**

 **AIO** (Alliance Intelligence Office): As its name implies, the AIO is the intelligence arm of the Systems Alliance. While still as new to the wider galaxy as its species is, the AIO has still made remarkable progress in developing a significant intelligence and espionage network, both at home and abroad.

 **Haribon Military Industries** : A formerly legitimate military arms producer and contractor, Haribon was bought by Cerberus affiliates in 2166, who use the company's resources to move and produce weapons for its operatives and its interests.

 **Read & Review!**


	5. Operation Vanguard

**Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

 **A/N: Hey everyone, I really enjoyed writing this chapter out, a good bit of fun indeed. Hope you all enjoy this new installment! Thanks for all the support!**

 **Indecisive Bob, Nargus, Dracconnis, baconelk, Cf96: Thanks for all the support guys! Glad you all are enjoying this little adventure. I hope I continue to not disappoint.**

 **Jack100: This has been, by far, one of the best reviews I've gotten. After all, it's not often that you get a reviewer that thinks about all of this and writes down his own spin on the situation. I thank you for the intellectual discussion and as such, here are my answers to your review:**

 **The symbol selection was pretty spontaneous, I'll admit, nor is it very original in my opinion, however, is does make sense as a selection considering that there is an eagle present in the original legend, although as Prometheus' torturer, not a guardian or protector by any means. Plus, I've always been fascinated by eagles, especially bald eagles once I saw one in person, so there probably is a bit of personal bias creeping in there. So make of all of this what you will.**

 **You are correct, there hasn't been a lot of discussion in Prometheus about ship/fleet building. The main reason for this is two fold. First, practicality, Prometheus' in-built manufacturing facility is not large, nor was it ever designed with the idea of fleet manufacture in mind, meaning that it would take a prohibitively long time for any sort of real combat vessel to be assembled compared to...say…an actual shipyard. Take the metaphor of using a car factory to attempt to build a modern day cargo ship from the ground up on its own with all the assembling and manufacturing done in place and also without any major modifications being allowed to the plant because of structural and resource constraints…in other words it just wouldn't be very practical in my mind. Also, remember that Prometheus only currently has a very limited resource base and since ships are very resource intensive…I would be of the opinion there would be more immediate concerns. The second point is pretty much just an extension of this, aka logistics. Sure, Prometheus could potentially manufacture a few ships with its onboard resources, but then what about ground capability? What about fuel for them? Parts? Also, what if these drone ships need to operate away from Prometheus, after all a signal can only travel so far before being lost…and drone ships are vulnerable to a more experienced Reaper's hacking attempts. Thus, Prometheus is focusing on what I believe would be its most immediate concerns, which means acquiring all the elements that it needs but doesn't have, meaning: Troops, supplies, resources, large scale manufacturing capability, bases of operations, and the like before trying to add in the big investment that creating a true battlefleet would be. Trust me, fleet building will come, but just not yet.**

 **I hope all of this answered most of your questions and to anybody who might also be reading this bit you might want to look up his review just to see what we're talking about exactly and maybe get some questions answered yourself. Anyway, I've rambled enough. Thanks for the review Jack, I really appreciated and enjoyed answering it.**

 **Enjoy the chapter everyone!**

 **0000000000000000**

" _Ladies and Gentlemen…",_ Major's gaze drifted over the forty-eight former marines that sat in attendance of his operational briefing inside Prometheus' servers, _"welcome to Operation Vanguard…"_ , a digital image of a greenish brown world laced with black and white streaks sprang to life as Major's orb floated towards it, _"…this is Taitus and it is certainly one of the more hospitable dust balls in the known galaxy. It possesses a humanly tolerable surface temperature and only a trace atmosphere of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Our target for today,"_ a small section of Taitus strobed white, _"are the pirates that long range sensors have picked up in this area."_ The strobing section expanded, taking up the space where the entire world once stood. The image showed the brownish-green sand of Taitus' surface dotted with a half dozen hastily built prefab structures which seemed to be centered around a makeshift landing strip, where the frame of an aging frigate-weight Turian vessel clear rested on the ground. _"Now, these pirates appear to be using this locale as a staging area for potential raids in the local sector and as such…"_ a hint of grim satisfaction colored his tone as he continued, _"we shall…disabuse them of this notion."_

The image changed again, this time simply morphing into a thermal overview of the previous picture, marking both the structures and the ship outlines in warm yellows and reds with a large green blob resting a scarce few meters eastward overtop what once displayed a large hillside. _"Scout drone flybys indicate that the pirates, unsurprisingly, have placed most of their operation below ground inside the nearby hillside to the east with what Intel believes to be living quarters, a small storage bay, a small shuttle hangar…in other words, nothing we haven't seen before. Deep scans indicate that the facilities are nothing extravagant, being primarily made up of prefab walls with the occasional mining support. They also indicate the presence of a stash of mining equipment near the back of the cavern. So…",_ the image returned to an orbital view, _"…the operation shall proceed in two phases. Phase one…"_ , a red dot flashed above the pirate site before zooming in, displaying another pirate vessel nearly identical to the first, although this one sported a number of extra antenna along its nose indicated a better sensor system than the first. _"…consists of us jumping in system and neutralizing the pirate picket vessel before it can escape or raise an alarm. Understandably, Command doesn't anticipate any problems with this phase. The potential problems come with Phase two and this consists of the neutralization of the pirate base and its personnel…and this is where we come in."_

The image now zoomed back in to the pirate base. _"At this point the operation splits into two parts. Part one,"_ a red box formed around the pirate prefabs and grounded frigate, _"is the capture of the landing area. The primary objective here is to take the pirate vessel there as intact as possible as well as any shuttles or fighters that you can get your hands on. Secondary, is to recover any useful salvage or equipment useful in working with the frigate. Part two,"_ the first red box disappeared only for a second to appear around the cave positions, _"is the capture of the underground complex. Primary objective is the capture of any intact mining equipment that we can find, so watch your explosives use once you're inside. Secondary objective is the acquisition of intact arms and armor,"_ Major's tone changed to slight annoyance as those assembled grumbled slightly at the order _, "and yes that means all of it, if it shoots, shields, or explodes we want it, period. Understood?"_ Major finished sternly, digital eyes scanning over the marines.

" _Yes, sir."_ , came the collective response. The Major's orb strobed slightly in acknowledgement.

" _Very good. Questions?"_ , an orb lit up in response.

" _Sir!",_ it asked. Major's orb bobbed in recognition. _"What defenses and support can we expect?"_

" _Intel scans have discovered nothing really special of note, so expect the typical pirate loadout, outdated armor, rifles, and perhaps some heavier ordnance, however,"_ the marines leaned closer as they paid particular attention as Major continued, _"Intel believes that these pirates might be planning a raid on Maitrum's prisons, which means that they may have some heavier gear, so expect a larger amount of explosives and MGs in their repertoire than usual. There may even be a small group of combat mechs present as well so, engineers…"._ Major focused on the half-dozen engineer specialists amongst the marines, _"you've spent the past day learning from the ECM division, time to put that training to the test. Get us those mechs, intact if you can, otherwise ladies and gentlemen this will be a standard search and destroy operation with fire support from Oculi drones and our Vanguard-class secondary cannons where possible. Any further questions?"_ Silence met the question, giving an answer of its own. _"Very well, squads Alpha and Bravo_ ," half those present flared with light in acknowledgement before dimming once more, _"are responsible for part one, once complete they are to assist Charlie and Delta squads,"_ the other half now did the same as the first, _" with part two. Insertion will be via a combat drop from specially modified Oculi, which will magnetically attach your platforms to their hulls for transport. Loadouts for this operation will be restricted to small arms and grenades due to the bottleneck in our manufactory so be judicious in their use and get both your weapons and yourselves back to us in one piece. All squad leaders have been given access to the squad level assault plans and loadouts, I expect you all to have them drilled into each of your heads by the time we arrive, am I clear?"_

" _Sir, yes sir!",_ came the simultaneous response.

" _Excellent. Marines!",_ the marines' orbs rose in mimicry of their response to this while alive, _"dismissed!"_ The previously orderly rows of former soldiers dispersed, all leaving the server with Major giving them a small pulse of determination before departing himself…

000000000000000000

 _Catalyst Point Defense System…Online_

 _Vanguard-class_ _Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannons…Online…_

 _Charge…100%...Charged_

 _Oblivion-class Main Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannon…Online…_

 _Charge…100%...Charged_

 _Propulsion Systems…Online…_

 _Power…100%_

 _Armor Integrity…100%_

 _Ascension-class Barrier System…Online_

 _Power…100%...Full_

 _Sensor Suite…Online_

 _Electronic Warfare Suite…Online_

 _Material Stores…98%_

 _Navigation status…Green…_

 _Alert!...Arrival at planetary body designation TAITUS imminent…Brace for deceleration…_

Prometheus' arrival to the inside of Taitus' gravity well in the Talava System was mostly unremarkable to those who rested inside her armor…

To the small, undermanned, underequipped pirate frigate who witnessed their arrival, however, the presence of the colossal dreadnaught struck them like the wrath of God, their command staff freezing in fear for the few ominous seconds it took for Prometheus to close the gap and erase their existence…

 _Firing Vanguard-class Cannon No. 1…_

 _Vanguard-class_ _Magnetic-Hydrodynamic Cannons…Online…_

 _Charge…90%...Charging…_

The lance of red liquid metal scythed through the outdated vessel like a knife through butter with barriers and armor alike barely providing a split-second of protection before vaporizing, leaving the ship to be sheared in two by Prometheus' weapon.

" _Viper, Falcon, this is Command, you are clear for Phase two."_ Three squadrons of Oculi detached from Prometheus almost as soon as the words were spoken, one of them bearing the ground teams to the surface. Another squadron scrambled as well…this one's mission, however, was far more ruthless…the destruction of any surviving pirate craft or lifepods…

" _Viper…" "Falcon…" "Reaper…"_

"… _copies, proceeding with Phase two."_

The first two Oculi squadrons raced ahead of the last. Their objective: to soft up pirate positions in preparation for the marines to land. The descent to below radar detection level only took a mere couple of minutes before the installation came into visual range. Instantly, thousands of messages and calculations ran between the individual Oculi's pilots and Prometheus' fighter operations team, deciding upon their singular targets based upon the thermal imaging data coming from both their and Prometheus' cameras. The entire process took only nanoseconds before the Oculi formation began to break up in preparation to strike…

For many of the pirates down below, those last five seconds before the Oculi's assault were their last. Three-dozen particle beams scythed through the air at breakneck speeds…

Thirty-three died instantly as the beams cut through their meagre armor and barriers with ease. The remaining three beams aimed for different targets, however, destroying two outdated Grizzly tanks and reducing the pirates' comm relay to slag. With their first run completed, the Oculi drove their engines to the max, arching around for another run if necessary as the pirates below scrambled for cover…

…but they were not the next to arrive. Only twenty seconds passed after their run before the third Oculi squadron arrived and swiftly decelerated, half near the landing area and half near the cave opening, navy blue armored and gray striped Geth-style Trooper platforms dropping from their magnetic, stubby wings before drawing their weapons and opening fire on the pirates around them.

" _Alpha's on the ground."_

" _Bravo, on the move."_

" _Charlie, proceeding to target."_

" _Delta is Oscar Mike."_

Alpha and Bravo squads were the first to reach their objectives, with Alpha moving towards the frigate while Bravo secured the perimeter…

" _This is Bravo 1-2, we've got contacts in the two prefabs on the west side…"_ , a swift overload coupled with a torrent of counterfire punctuating the point as one of 1-2's platforms was taken down.

" _1-2, 1-3, we are moving to assist.",_ the whine of another four Geth Pulse rifles rose in response as another four Troopers ran out from behind one of the other prefabs. The pirates' fire shifted as they noticed the new threat, outdated Lancer and Diamond Back assault rifles roaring as they sent out withering bursts of fire that sent 1-3's marines diving to the ground for cover.

" _Fire and movement, people! 1-2, move up! 1-3, cover us!"_ , 1-2's team leader yelled as he noticed the pirates error. 1-3's rifles opened up in response, suppressing fire lessening the sounds of pirate weaponry as 1-2 bounded forwards…

A loud bang echoed across the battlefield as another of 1-2's marines fell, her platform missing most of its head. 1-2 hit the dirt, returning fire in response to the loss of their comrade.

" _This is 1-2, we've got a sniper in the buildings and two KIA so far."_

" _Keep'em busy boys,"_ Bravo's female squad leader advised as several more Troopers could be seen darting behind the pirate-occupied buildings, _"1-1 has it covered."_ The rest of Bravo's fire intensified in response, burning through thermal clips rapidly in their efforts to keep the pirates pinned. They didn't have to wait long as four rapid explosions ripped through the enemy positions…

" _Bravo hold your fire, 1-1 is moving in to clear the buildings.",_ Bravo's fire immediately ceased as a few more stutters of Pulse fire could be heard from the two smoking buildings. _"Command, this is Bravo, landing pad perimeter is clear and we have two KIA, currently moving to assist Alpha…"_

" _Negative, Bravo,"_ Command interrupted, _"Alpha's operation is proceeding as planned, move to assist Charlie and Delta, over."_ A gap grew before the response as Bravo 1-1 streamed out of the buildings.

" _Bravo copies, moving to the caves now, out."_

000000000000000000

Meanwhile, just as Command had said, Alpha's part of the operation was proceeding well. The initial entry into the frigate via the belly-mounted cargo bay had been astonishingly easy, with only a few lightly armed technicians opposing them. The attached Engineering section fell in short order as well once Alpha 1-3 eliminated the two individuals inside with mechanical precision. 1-1 and 1-2, meanwhile, proceeded up the nearby stairs into the crew level. The resistance here, however, was much stiffer with pirates appearing in full armor and with rifles and shotguns…

BANG…

" _Mack is down.",_ came the report as the two fireteams pressed forwards out of the stairwell and scrambled for cover. The Prometheans response was as swift as their mechanized bodies would allow them, Pulse rifles spitting out rounds, prioritizing the two shotgun armed pirates hiding behind a metal cafeteria table just a few meters ahead of them. The flimsy metal held for only a few seconds before giving way, rounds pinging off of their armor and barriers before finding their mark. One pirate died quickly, a round managing to blast through his throat and spinal cord in a spray of blue blood as the Turian fell. His human partner was less lucky, six rounds peppered his chest yet left the poor sod still alive, blood slowly suffocating him as it seeped into his lungs…

" _Grenade!",_ came the sudden yell over Alpha's squadnet. An explosion swiftly followed closeby to two of 1-2's marines, blowing one platform apart and damaging another before it dragged itself behind the cover of a side wall.

" _Vos! Status!",_ Alpha's commander barked.

" _Status yellow, Sarge! I can shoot, but my leg is shot!",_ came the tense reply as the two sides began to bunker down and exchange fire from opposite sides of the deck.

" _Damnit!",_ the sergeant cursed, _"1-1, grenades! Blast the fuckers out!"_ Two grenades in addition to the sergeant's arched out in response, a rapid succession of explosions quickly followed, killing or wounding four of the six pirates remaining as they screamed in surprise. _"1-2, clean house! 1-1, on me, we're heading for the CIC! 1-2, join us when you're done!"_ The marines quickly moved to follow the order, 1-2's rifle fire picking up as they continued to suppress the remaining enemies.

" _1-1, 1-3, we're already at the top and stacked up. Just waiting for you, over."_ , 1-1's marines dashed up the steps to join 1-3, who had all lined up on the right hand side of the door leading to the CIC and were quickly joined on the left by 1-1. There was a problem, however, as the red lights on the door indicated…locked. One of the engineers, the only one attached to Alpha squad, was currently standing motionless on the right side as he attempted to access the door's controls remotely…

" _I've got access.",_ he reported a few seconds later as his head nodded in accomplishment.

" _Good.",_ came the sergeant's reply. _"Open on my mark. Grenades first, then rush it! Go in three…two…one…mark!"_ The door instantly whirred open, swiftly followed by four grenades and seven Troopers in rapid succession. Three pirates were blown apart instantly with four more being shredded by rifle rounds as the fireteams advanced. The shock didn't last long, however, as the pirates began to respond…

A dozen rounds found the sergeant's platform first, six bringing down his barrier before four shredded his chest and two tore apart his head in a spray of white fluid. Another burst of rounds shredded another marine's leg, immobilizing him before another burst destroyed the Trooper completely. A stalemate quickly ensued, with no side gaining enough of an advantage to make a killing blow.

" _This is 1-2, we're in the maintenance tunnels and heading up behind the enemy positions. Watch your fire, over!"_ , came the sudden call after another minutes of back-and-forth firing.

" _Roger, hit'em hard for us!"_ , came 1-3's fireteam leader, now acting squad leader. A metallic screech quickly followed, accompanied by another duo of grenades which blew apart a number of the consoles that the pirates were using as cover, shredding both them and their shelter in a shower of blood and debris. The two remaining Troopers of Alpha 1-2 scrambled out of a maintenance hatch on the floor on the far side of the CIC. The remainder of Alpha quickly moved to capitalize on the caused confusion by darting up out of cover and opening fire as the pirates scrambled to respond. Four more pirates dropped as they were riddled with rounds, leaving only three survivors…

…the first fell as he twisted back towards 1-1 and 1-3, a round from 1-2 tearing through his throat…

…the second was pulped as he attempted to fall back to the airlock, hypersonic pellets reducing his back to a pulpy form of Swiss cheese…

…the third found himself yanked out of his cover as he cowered behind it, the mechanical muscles of the Trooper frame easily tossing the hapless human to the ground before a triple round burst tore through his helmet and head…

" _Command, Alpha reports objective secured. We've got four KIA and one WIA, over."_

" _Good copy, Alpha, move to assist Charlie and Delta, over."_

" _Roger that, Command, Alpha moving to assist…"_

00000000000000000

The assault on the caves assigned to Charlie and Delta squads, however, was not going nearly as well as the other two. The initial approach to the cave entrance had been trivial with only scattered bursts of rifle fire being sent at them before the returning Oculi turned the two responsible into steaming organic paste. The situation rapidly changed from excellent to terrible, however, shortly after as Charlie and Delta ran into the first major defensive position, which the pirates had set up inside in order to prevent any aerial assistance. Charlie 1-1 had quickly been wiped out and Delta 1-2 had found itself with two fewer Troopers within the first minute of the engagement as machine gun fire scythed through the cave opening. The pirate's lack of formal military training, however, quickly began to work against them. Heavy suppressing fire from the Promethean squads swiftly managed to pin down the two pirate machine gunners and their attendant riflemen, which allowed Charlie 1-2 to push up far enough in order to toss grenades into the sandbagged positions and blow them apart. Five pirates died instantly with three surviving long enough to be finished off by the squads as they pushed up to capitalize on the shock of 1-2's actions. The MG's were just the beginning of their troubles, however, after all, once the makeshift shuttle bay was clear they still had the living quarters and storage areas left to clear…

" _Wilson, left! I've got right! Stack up!",_ ordered Delta's squad leader as they approached one of the two airlocks that led deeper into the base. _"Charlie, Delta is in position, over."_ , he informed Charlie's current squad leader.

" _Roger Delta, ready to proceed."_

" _Excellent,"_ the two squads' platforms seemed to tense slightly as they awaited the fated order…

" _Breach!"_ , all at once the squads sprang into motion as their attached engineers hacked the airlock controls, which whirred open in response. The sight that met the former humans had barely registered before it opened up on them…

" _TARGETING SYSTEMS ONLINE…ENGAGING COMBAT PROTOCOLS…"_

As two YMIR mechs and the sole surviving squad of pirates fired on the encroaching Prometheans…the results were devastating. Charlie 1-2 found three of its Troopers shredded by mech cannon fire with the remaining one only barely managing to drag itself to cover with most of its platform sporting heavy damage. Delta also lost three of its Troopers in the initial charge, fairing better due to the better cover from various piles of prefab building materials scattered around the room they found themselves in. The room itself, they found, wasn't really much of a room at all. It was more of a cavern that appeared to be lined on the sides with prefab walls and doors, which held the living quarters. The center of the cavern had clearly been roughly cut out by the pirates mining equipment with chunks of rock jutting from various places about the cavern amongst the ceiling supports and stacks of equipment. The pirates, however, had positioned themselves about halfway down the cavern, near the center, covering themselves on their front and sides with a hastily made defensive position comprised of overturned mess tables and empty equipment boxes with a YMIR to either side and, most importantly, behind them, nestled at the very back of the cavern, was Charlie and Delta's primary objective…the pirate's mining equipment…

The sight didn't provide any comfort for the former humans, however, as heavy YMIR fire began to wear down their cover in a hail of cannon fire.

" _Wilkes! Raul! Why don't we have those YMIR's silenced yet?!"_ , Delta 1-2's fireteam leader yelled in exasperated desperation at his squad's resident engineer's.

" _We're working on it!",_ came the equally heated reply, _"The damn things aren't networked and they've gotten a security upgrade! Give us a minute!"_ Just as the engineer finished a YMIR managed to chew through some of Delta's cover and take down two Troopers from Delta 1-3.

" _We don't have a minute!",_ answered the desperate former Corporal as Charlie and Delta continued to fire sporadically in the pirate's direction. _"Command! This is Delta! Where the hell are our reinforcements?!"_

" _They're on their way Delta! Hold the line until they!...",_ Command's response to 1-2's commander was quickly cut off as the platform in question was overloaded and shredded by rifle fire. A trio of pirate grenades quickly followed the action off, destroying another platform from Charlie squad and sending two more scrambling for more cover, only one of which made it as the other fell to another stream of YMIR fire.

" _Command! This is Delta 1-3! Charlie is combat ineffective and we're at half strength! We need those reinforcements now!",_ the response to the desperate call, however, didn't come from Command…

" _Delta, this is Bravo, we are moving to assist…" "Delta, Alpha, we are moving to engage…",_ came the simultaneous reply from the other two squads as sixteen more Troopers rushed into the fray, a torrent of Pulse fire covering their approach as they advanced into the cavern from the doorways.

A sharp crack echoed from the doorway as another Trooper fired a salvaged pirate sniper rifle, which quickly took the head off of one of the more exposed pirates…

The pirates responded with a volley of four rockets, two from the YMIR's and two from personal launchers, which managed to take down three of the reinforcements and send several others scrambling for cover with light damage…

" _We've got it!",_ came the exited cry from Delta and Charlie's surviving engineers. To punctuate their cry, the two YMIR's suddenly ceased fire momentarily before turning…

 _TARGETING PARAMETERS REINITIALIZED…ENGAGING…_

The two YMIR's then opened fire upon their former allies, shredding half-a-dozen before the five remaining darted for safety further back in the tunnel, which the remaining Prometheans certainly didn't allow as the YMIR's killed the two pirates that remained to cover their fellows while the remaining three fell to Pulse rifle fire as they ran…

" _Command, this is Bravo,"_ the Prometheans cautiously crept forward, still wary even as the battlefield fell silent, _"we've cleared all contacts from the caves can you detect any further contacts, over?"_

" _Bravo, this is Command, Sensors report all returns as negative, sweep for survivors and secure the area, we are descending to you now."_ A single rifle burst rippled over the radio as a Trooper finished a mortally wounded pirate.

" _Good copy Command, moving to sweep and secure. We'll see you soon. Bravo out…"_

And meanwhile, amongst a crackle of static electricity a black hand fell from the sky…

00000000000000000

 _ACCESSING MEETING SERVER 034718 (3:34 ZULU, 12/19/2184)…_

 _WARNING!...MEETING DESIGNATION: CORE SECRET…UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN PUNITIVE ACTION!..._

 _PROCEED?..._

 _USERNAME: Arcturus Hotel_

 _PASSWORD: *************_

 _AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED…WELCOME ADMIRAL HACKET…CONNECTING TO SERVER…_

" _Steven, glad you could make it."_

" _Director…how bad is it?",_ a sigh escaped from the Director.

" _In a moment...now that we're all here, I must get the pleasantries out of the way. Ladies and gentlemen, I am duty bound to inform you that this information is classified above Top Secret and if any of the information discussed here is knowingly disseminated by any of you…well, you'll be answering to one of my wetwork teams. Understood?"_

A chorus of mumbled agreements answered.

" _Good…then let's get straight to the heart of the matter. A few days ago one of our assets deployed in an anti-Cerberus operation in the Terminus reported back in. Normally, this would be nothing alarming, however, the asset in question was last reported to be on Newport before the colony was cleaned out by forces unknown and now, we know who is responsible…the Collectors…and not only that but he also identifies his current location as beyond the Omega 4 Relay…and on the Collector homeworld."_

A number of concerned murmurs erupted between the assembled Alliance admirals.

" _You're sure of its authenticity?"_

" _I wouldn't bring this to the Board if I wasn't sure. The asset's identification checks out and his information answers a lot of questions as to why our Terminus colonies have been getting hit."_

" _And why is that?"_ , the Director sighed.

"… _Our agent is…unsure himself exactly why the Collectors have been doing the abductions beyond the experimentation that he reports that he has witnessed. Recently, however, a reason may have presented itself to us…"_

An image jumped onto the server screen clearly displaying the Omega 4 Relay and…

…a _Soveriegn_ -class dreadnaught…A Reaper…coming through it…

" _A Reaper?..."_

" _Don't go spouting off about your conspiracy theories now Steven. It's more likely the Geth are behind this…"_

" _You've read Shepard's reports Martha, same as I, if you want to stick your head in the sand, that's your prerogative, however, I know Shepard…and he isn't one for tall tales. His service was spotless before the Eden Prime War, even if you discount his exemplary Spectre record, and as such I will not tolerate such disrespect in my presence. Are we clear?..."_

" _Yes, sir."_

" _Good…Where do we stand?"_

" _With the asset?...",_ Hackett nodded _, "…he's asked for a declaration of Threat Condition Saber Two…"_

00000000000000000

"… _and the AIO has confirmed this?"_

" _Yes, the Director was most insistent in its authenticity, and Hackett was…most supportive of the Reaper theory once the Director put it forward, unsurprising considering his relationship with Shepard."_

" _And Phoenix has confirmed his source as well?"_

" _Yes, vocal recognition and identification codes all matched and the stress monitors didn't trip. All the evidence says that it's genuine."_

" _This could be the break we need, if we have a source broadcasting beyond the Omega 4 Relay…How long until Lazarus is ready?"_

" _Wilson and I were both monitoring his condition two weeks ago when he managed to overcome the sedatives…Wilson predicts…and I agree…that it should only take a few more weeks."_

" _I cannot stress enough the importance of time and perfection in this project, Operative Lawson, humanity needs Shepard, and soon, if it is to handle the Reaper's arrival…"_

" _This project would be much more secure if you had given me leave to deal with Wilson when I brought it up months ago. He is a significant security risk who has already…"_

" _I understand your concerns, but Shepard is too important and Wilson has his uses…however…once his part in the project is over you have my permission to…remove him from the equation."_

" _As you wish, Illusive Man."_

 **0000000000000000**

 **Read & Review!**


	6. Buildup

**Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

 **Dracconis, Indecisive Bob, MEEKVERSEFAN2.0: Thanks for the review! Here's some more as requested.**

 **Jack100: I can tell you that, as I've planned this so far, this will definitely not be a Mass Effect 2 recap, nor will romance be a main focus (or a feature in any real capacity because I suck at writing it). I'm trying to give this fic a more professional military/espionage feel throughout, at least as close as a military history reading civilian can. I hope that atmosphere comes across.**

 **I certainly did misread your statement about the ships, my bad. This chapter will begin to address that issue. I will say, however, that adding in an extensive conversation on the issue has not been done partially because of the amount of stuff I need to cram in each chapter while also not going crazy on chapter size, like I started to do near the later chapters of my last big fic. So that is part of the problem. There will be some drone vessels, but they'll mainly be fighters and interceptors because of the exact reason you stated.**

 **I actually have put some thought into nano-drones and the like. I won't tell you they won't show up but they certainly won't for a while. The thing is that there are absolutely no canonical (that I can find) references about these devices in Mass Effect, even for the Reapers. As such, I'm going to assume that there aren't any, whether by law (Citadel Conventions) or by arrogance/lack of necessity (Reapers). Because of this such systems would need to be designed from scratch and that would take a lot of time, even for AI's, and right now the Prometheans have higher priorities. Anyway, I hope this clarified some things. Thanks again!**

 **Hello everybody! Just wanted to push this next chapter out before the semester starts back up. I will warn you all that this chapter is not very actiony, but I needed to do some more world building before we get back into the action. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!**

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The week of downtime since the assault on Taitus had been well used by Prometheus, with her repair drones and manufactories producing all manner of equipment for excavating and building up the pirates former home. The former cavern had truly become a formidable underground complex, with tunnels reaching a couple hundred feet below ground and arching out in almost every direction. Mining operations had begun in earnest as well, with Prometheus using scans of the captured mining equipment in order to produced their own, improved copies, which were quickly distributed across Taitus in various locations with a detachment of repair drones to begin operations. A large scale refinery had sprung up inside one of the larger tunnels of the former pirate base, churning out pure product as fast as the modified Oculi could bring it in. Construction had even been completed on another manufactory within the former pirate complex, matching Prometheus' in size, which doubled their output and allowed them to finally put their new influx of resources, which before was outstripping their assembling capability by a wide margin, to quicker use. A second manufactory had begun construction as well, this one, however, was double the size of Prometheus' own and was being designed primarily with the creation of heavy vehicles and equipment in mind. Although not quite completed, which was slated for the next two or three days, already a limited amount of modified YMIR mechs had been produced, giving Prometheus over a dozen of the lethal machines.

These YMIRs' certainly weren't standard fare and as such their modifications were somewhat extensive, especially to their mobility and hardware. The first modification was a simple replacement of the usual Palladium armor outfit with a much lighter, yet just as strong, alloy of Reaper origin, giving the mechs a much darker grey appearance and boosting mobility by reducing the load on the mechs' motors. The motor functions and equipment also received an upgrade, although one not as great as the first, but it still boosted the YMIRs' mobility by a further twenty-five percent, something the civilian robotics engineers involved in the project were most proud of, these two upgrades combining to allow the YMIR chassis a mobility comparable to most modern day infantry on the ground, something lauded by the operators assigned to man them. The hardware and software in the mechs' chassis had, of course, received a substantial retrofit in order to allow a Promethean operator to be present and discourage unwanted interface attempts. Offensively, the mechs retained their standard twin mass accelerator cannon, although the cooling systems received a massive overhaul, which allowed a much longer amount of sustained fire before venting was needed. The big difference, however, was the addition of a much larger, and more powerful, version of the Collector heavy particle beam in the place of the mechs' rocket launcher, which had in simulations against an Alliance spec M35 Mako left said vehicle cored and nearly sliced in two after one shot. The shields also received an upgrade, although a relatively minor one that merely hardened them against energy and disruptor attacks with a small increase in overall strength.

The shiny new YMIR's were not the only things being pumped out by Prometheus, dozens of Troopers were assembled every day, with small compliments of Hunter, Rocket, and Shock platforms sprinkled amongst the production runs to provide more versatility to their compliment. Some modifications were added to these troops as well. The Trooper platforms, as advised by the marines from Operation Vanguard, received a more robust shield generator and hardening against disruptor and overload attacks, they also boasted heavier armor and more coverage over vulnerable areas, such as the head, for better protection. Hunter's received a lighter armor set, boosting mobility, and a much more robust barrier system in order to compensate for the light armor. They also were outfitted with an extensive plethora of sensor and targeting suites, augmenting their role as ambush infantry and also branching them out as pathfinders, scouts, and snipers. The Shock Troopers received a substantial set of improvements to their armor and shielding systems in order to better suit their role as frontline heavy infantry and to allow them to better cope against the heavily entrenched positions they would be sent up against. The Rocket Troopers received much the same upgrades as regular Troopers except with an upgraded targeting system and much heavier armor, which was to compensate for the importance the enemy would place on destroying them. The largest improvement for them, however, was not to the platform itself but to its primary weapon.

With the standard ML-77 missile launcher being judged as largely ineffective by the soldiers onboard, due to its lack of high explosive and armor penetration power, while the new M-920 Cain was lauded for its widespread, high explosive damage yet hated for its low ammo storage along with its long firing and round travel time, the troops, the former mercs especially, pushed for a better heavy weapons system. The result became the first solely Promethean designed weapon, with both military and civilian personnel involved in its development. Designed and field tested in a blinding two days, the newly christened M220 Archer Grenade Launching System was a massive improvement. The weapon system utilized a heavy grade mass accelerator system to semi-automatically fire its twelve grenades from its under-slung drum at two hundred and forty meters per second, making it impossible for a target to realistically avoid. The real innovation, however, came with the launcher's ammunition. Taking inspiration from previous weapons systems of the 21st century, the launcher could fire everything from conventional HE and HEAT rounds to the more exotic, and illegal under the Citadel Conventions, white phosphorous and thermobaric ammunition. The weapon became an instant hit with the troops, especially once the raids on pirate and slaver shipping began.

Construction on orbital shipyards and other spacecraft production capability also proceeded with all possible speed. With construction taking place far outside the Talava system in empty space in order to avoid detection, the proposed facilities were extensive: a full dreadnaught production yard, capable of producing anything short of two kilometers in a reasonable timeframe; another shipyard, this one focused on cruiser and frigate production, which sported half-a-dozen construction bays one of which had already been completed and was operational; and lastly a small craft production yard which, when fully operational, could spew out dozens of small craft a day. Proposed defenses, very few of which had actually begun construction, included two dozen dreadnaught-grade mass accelerator defense satellites and, most notably, a dozen defense platforms sporting a copy of Prometheus' Oblivion-class main cannon. All of these would sport heavy kinetic barrier systems, extensive point defense weaponry and a sizable small craft compliment, which would make them an impressive deterrent to any potential aggressor.

The fighter and interceptor 'problem' as described by Prometheus' pilots was another issue to be solved by the ship's command staff. With most of her engineering team tied up in construction, mining, ground platform upgrades, and large space combat vessel design, Prometheus' command staff eventually decided to simply modify the standard Alliance compliment of F-61 Trident fighters and F-47 Sarissa interceptors and press them into service as a stopgap measure. The load on Prometheus' manufacturing capacity, especially in the first few days after Operation Vanguard, meant that fairly few had been built by the ship's inbuilt facility. The problem also extended to the human Reaper's shuttle compliment, which still completely relied on modified Oculi instead of the proposed modified copy of the UT-47 Kodiak being considered for use until a better alternative could be found or designed. The situation imposed serious delays upon the plans that Prometheus' military had in creating a suitable gunship force to supplement their ground forces as well, whose designs for a proposed A-84 Hornet gunship had barely begun its initial design phase.

Prometheus' plans continued apace, however, as evidenced when, on the fifth day after the taking of Taitus, Prometheus began its recruiting efforts…

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For the nearly four-dozen slaves jammed into cages in the hold aboard the slaver ship _Luisa's Vision_ the shock of their new lot in life appeared to have not yet sunk in for many, even as a particularly sadistic Batarian guard beat one of their own for some imagined slight, it still seemed surreal. Made up of a large collection of mostly humans, Batarians, and Asari with a couple Turians and Salarians scattered about the collection, the group of mostly newly 'acquired' slaves could only sit and stare and pray as their hopes and dreams evaporated faster each second that they neared their ultimate destination, Batarian space. The hold was deathly silent, bar the cries of the slave and slaver, as its occupants sat inside their cages within the decrepit ship's hold, some comforting those they could, others silently contemplating their fate, and yet a few festering the seeds of rebellion…

Regardless of their views and actions in regards to their situation, all of them bore one thing in common, they believed…no, they _knew_ , no help would be coming for them, not out here, not in the Terminus, and the likelihood of an Alliance patrol intercepting the ship as it snuck into Batarian space was incredibly low. Their fate was sealed. They knew it. Their guards knew it. The bomb collars and control implants proved it.

So everyone was understandably startled when the lights, doors, and even the hum of the ship's engines shut off entirely, leaving only a couple of cloudy, red emergency lights still operating. The sole guard understandably ceased his attempts at slave discipline in order to quickly attempt to contact his fellows over his radio, only to be met with a loud shriek of static that caused him to quickly tear off his helmet in anger. His attempts to activate the slave's bomb collars as a precaution met with similar failure as his attempted interfaces also failed to connect. The occurrence was not met with much reaction from the slaves for the first minute or two, after all this dump of a ship and its equipment was _old_ and, they reasoned, it was liable to break down every now and then…

But after a series of shuddering echoes rippled through the hanger and both the radio and ship systems continued to not work a glimmer of hope began to grow, were they being rescued? Had a one-in-a-million Alliance patrol managed to stumble upon the slavers' route? Would they dare to dream again?

The guard was, sensibly, distressed by the whole series of events, after all, he was surrounded by several dozen slaves who, although caged, would gladly rip him apart given the slightest opportunity and his complete lack of communication or support made him even more paranoid. The paranoia was quite understandable regardless of the slaves' actions because, regardless of the actual effectiveness of the Alliance's efforts to combat slaving operations, those the Alliance did manage to get their hands on were dealt with most severely, with a firing squad being one of the most lenient punishments. So once he found himself unable to access any of the ship's escape pods, he did the one thing that he believed could save his life. He grabbed his currently nonsensical human victim, dragged him in front of him towards the door, put a pistol to his head, and stepped off into a more shrouded section of the bay to await the arrival of either his comrades, or an attacking force.

The wait had stretched on for nearly five minutes before both slaves and slaver received the first indication of what was going on. It seemed innocuous at first, some of the humans would later describe it as some odd staccato of sharp sounding crickets accompanied by the soft whining of operating machinery, but as the sounds got closer and more easily began to filter through the heavy metal door several of the slaves, the slaver as well, recognized the noise for what it really was…

Gunfire.

Several thumps, designating a series of grenade explosions, only served to reinforce what all those present had already guessed, the ship was under attack. The slaver's grip on his hostage, and his trigger, instantly tightened as he began to contemplate his chances of survival, which appeared to be dwindling by the second as the sounds got even closer. Meanwhile, the slaves moral instantly skyrocketed as salvation seemed to stand only a doorway away. One more minute passed, then two…the guns went silent. The hold, and most importantly the hallways beyond, suddenly grew eerily quiet as all turned their attention to the only door that connected the bay with the rest of the ship. The slaver began to sweat, his four eyes darting about in barely restrained fear, adrenaline surging as his finger began to twitch on the trigger in anticipation. He didn't have to wait long.

The doorway's access hologram suddenly changed from red to green as it unlocked…

The first three objects through the door were a series of flashbang grenades, which quickly blinded and deafened those either ignorant of or too slow to avoid their effects. The guard gritted his teeth and cringed in pain as several slaves cried out in pain at the sudden light and sound, and although all recovered fairly quickly from the effects no one did so fast enough to catch the eight figures that rushed into the room, rifles held ready to fire…

"STOP RIGHT WHERE…!", the guard yelled as he began to recover, only to stop once he set his eyes upon the figures in front of him. Although he color scheme of those in front of him reminded him of Alliance troops there was one feature that stood out above all the rest to both him and his captives…

And it was the single flashlight eye that each one of the figures sported.

"Geth?!", the Batarian exclaimed in confusion as the grip on his pistol and hostage loosened for a moment before tensing once again, "By the Pillars! What is this?!"The Geth in front of the guard began to fan out around him as he slowly backed himself into a corner to protect his back while his opponents' eyes began to dance subtly between each other as if having a conversation that only they could hear. To the guard's credit, it didn't take him long to realize that these Geth weren't firing at him and his hostage…perhaps they cared about his captive's survival?

Unfortunately for him his answer, while correct, was not the reason for the Prometheans lack of shooting, after all any decent combat VI could easily hit a credit chit at such close quarters let alone what the accuracy a full AI actually was at such a distance. No, the reason for the lack of action was made quite apparent as an omniblade found its way through the slaver's back and chest before a previously cloaked figure came into view and the guard fell to the ground, his hostage collapsing with him…

The last sight that met the Batarian's eyes before darkening completely was that of a single Geth Hunter standing in front of him, a single red eye staring at his fading form. The pitch black platform seemed to absorb all the light around it, contributing to the unnatural air that seemed to surround the figure, but what really caught the dying alien's attention in his final moments was the small maroon and silver emblem that rested on its chest…

 _N7_ …

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 _COMMUNICATIONS LOG (0600 ZULU, 12/27/2184)_

 _SOURCE SERVER: CLASSIFIED/REDACTED/UNKNOWN . . . . . . . ._

 _WARNING!...MEETING DESIGNATION: CORE SECRET…UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN PUNITIVE ACTION!.. . . . ._

 _PROCEED? . . . . . . . . ._

 _RETENAL/DNA SCAN RESULTS CONFIRMED . . . ACCESSING ARCHIVES . . . . . ._

" _Director."_

" _Illusive Man, I had wondered when you would make this call."_

" _We may be classified as terrorists, dear Director, but we protect humanity in our own ways…"_

" _Don't feed me that bullshit, the amount of condolence letters I've had to write because of your organization says otherwise."_

" _It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness."_

" _Lucius Seneca, correct?...sigh…what do you want? You're risking an awful lot by making this call."_

" _I want what we both want, humanity to grow and thrive, unfortunately current events have managed threaten her once again…"_

" _I don't know what you're talking about."_

" _Neither of us survived to reach our level by acting like children, Director, it would not benefit either of us to start doing so now. We both know what this is about. A Reaper has emerged from the Omega 4 Relay. The question is, how…and why?"_

" _I'm sure you would be delighted to inform me."_

" _You know just as much as I do, Director, your source, Phantom, corroborates the same information that I am receiving from my own source…"_

" _So you did have a weapons smuggling operation on Newport…I would ask how you got this information, but I suppose that would be useless. I must say, however, that Seraphim's reports have been most helpful as well…"_

" _Consider your argument made, Director."_

" _Good, now get to the point, TIM. My time is valuable, something you should understand more than most."_

" _Very well, this evidence shows both of us that Reapers are not as…distant a threat as we might have hoped. Humanity needs to be ready and yet her preparations, as I'm sure you're aware, are currently…lackluster at best. She needs a soldier, a leader, who can push her to respond and prepare for the enemy to come."_

" _Shepard is dead, Illusive Man. Who are you proposing to take his place? Williams?..."_

"… _What if I told you Shepard is not quite as dead as you may believe?..."_

" _I would say that you were lying."_

" _Director, when it comes to protecting humanity…I never lie. After all, dear Director, if Lazarus could rise from the dead, why couldn't Shepard?"_

"… _I'm listening…"_

00000000000000000

 _WELCOME DOCTOR SANDER . . . . . . . . .CANDIDATE PROFILES ASSEMBLED . . . . VIEW? . . . . . ._

" _Commence playback."_

 _ORDER ACKNOWLEDGED . . . . . BEGINNING AUDIO REPLAY . . . . . . . . ._

 _AUDIO INTERROGATION LOG: SUBJECT 4T_

 _INTERROGATION ROOM 3A, FIREBASE OLYMPUS, TAITUS, TALAVA SYSTEM, CALESTON RIFT (0930 ZULU, 12/28/2184) . . . . . ._

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

"State your name, for the record, please."

"It depends on who is asking. From what I hear the Geth aren't exactly the most sociable species."

"And why would you believe that? We are Geth, we are machines…"

"No, you are not, not entirely anyway."

"Clarify?"

"S'kak! I've fought Geth! I've seen how they fight! And you certainly don't fight like them. You don't move like them. So I'm not telling you a thing until you tell me what is going on."

"And what keeps us from putting a bullet in your brain?"

"You took every last one of us in those cages alive. No one, especially a machine, would do that without an explicit reason…but you know what really tipped me off?"

"…"

"Your entry and elimination of that slaver. Geth would've just shot both slave and guard, they're coldly logical that way. The slaver was a risk and to a machine, sacrificing resources to protect one sole thing when there are dozens more to replace it…the choice for them would've been simple. A Turian would've stood down, his training telling him such action was too risky and would've allowed the slaver to walk away, only to blow his pod from the sky once he was no longer a threat. But humans…*chuckle*…humans thrive on defying such risks. Only human marines are trained to distract a hostage taker while moving him into a position to be taken out. Only humans take no prisoners by default when they raid slaving operations. So…if I were a betting Turian, I'd say you were created by humans if not controlled by them. So…am I wrong?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Sergeant Janus Headley, formerly of the 126th Marines, last posted to the colony of Luthien."

"Luthien?...wasn't that colony reported hit by slavers a few months ago?"

"Correct…and I'll ask again, what is your name?"

"…I suppose it's only fair. Lieutenant Commander Cascus Egnalius, formerly of the Hierarchy's Military Police, currently retired. So, if you are not lying, you were present on Luthien when it was attacked?"

"Correct."

"And I suppose you're after who did it?"

"Correct."

"And who was it?"

"The Collectors."

"Collectors?! Why would they do that?"

"I can't answer that."

"Are they the reason why I appear to be speaking with a Geth Trooper right now?"

"Correct…but only partially."

"Then who else?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Then why would you go through all this effort to bring us here? After all, this is Taitus, I did enough scouting runs here during my time serving on Maitrum to recognize the sand. You're hiding directly under the Hierarchy's fringe and nobody knows it, which means that you haven't brought this to the Council or your Alliance. Why?"

"There are…complications."

"What kind of complications?"

"The kind that the Council would not like to acknowledge exists."

"And what does that mean, exactly?"

"I can't tell you anymore, not as things stand."

"So…what can you tell me?"

"We need help."

"…I'm listening…"

 _LOG END (0940 ZULU, 12/28/2184)_

" _Sergeant? What's your assessment?"_

" _He seems remarkably held together for what he's been through, doc, I would give him a green light…"_

" _I concur. See that his profile gets passed up to Major as soon as we're done here."_

" _Sure thing, doc."_

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 _ACCESSING SHIP CONSTRUCTION FILES . . . . . . . . . . DONE_

 _OPENING PROFILE #001 DESIGNATE:_ _ **PHANTOM MENACE**_ _. . . . . . . DONE_

" _So, Commander Hargrove…what have you got for me?"_

" _Something I'm sure you'll appreciate, Major. I'm sure you remember this?,,,"_

An image sprang into existence, showing a very familiar ship profile…

" _This is the pirate frigate we acquired. What about it?"_

" _As you know you're looking at an outdated Epirus-class Turian frigate, which we unsurprisingly discovered was largely gutted at some point or another after it was removed from service. Original armament consisted of a significantly undersized mass accelerator cannon along with a single disruptor torpedo bank and a notoriously insufficient Guardian laser array. All of this was coupled with a shitty barrier generator and very light armor. It did have an exceptional propulsion and power system, however, which gave it a mobility second to none. Couple that with the best sensor package of the time and you've got yourself an excellent scout frigate."_

" _And…"_

" _And unfortunately their light armament and shielding made their survival rates in any sort of actual engagement near zero, which didn't endear them to Turian naval command, which wanted emphasis placed on armor and firepower for an actual fleet engagement. They phased the class out shortly before the First Contact War and sold them off. Good news is, apparently they didn't gut the ship's sensor, power, and propulsion systems when they sold this one off. The bad, or good, news, depending on how you look at it, is that they removed all the weapon and defense systems."_

" _And why is that good news?"_

" _Because it means that we didn't have to replace them once Command gave us the order to retrofit the damn thing for you, that alone saved us a day or two at least."_

" _So…it's done?"_

" _It's done. Allow me to introduce, the Phantom Menace, the first product of our deep space frigate yards. We kept most of the ship's power and propulsion systems, although a few tweaks here and there gave us a fifteen percent power and twenty percent top speed increase. The sensor systems, on the other hand, while good for their time, are vastly inferior to what we've got. Hell, it took an eighteen hour design marathon before we figured out how to carbon copy our main sensors into such a small platform. We still managed it but unfortunately power and size constraints forced us to tone down the sensitivity a bit…"_

" _How much?"_

" _Not bad, about five or ten percent depending on the sensor type in question. It's still better than anything anybody else can field. Given more time to troubleshoot we could get one-hundred percent, perhaps higher…"_

" _Maybe later, we need a combat vessel operational immediately so that we can stop sending our main body out on every spaceborne errand. Once we get a decent fleet going, then we'll consider it."_

" _Understood. Anyway, onto the juicy stuff, the original armor was composed of a fairly typical carbon-titanium alloy with only a couple inches of thickness. We replaced it with our Reaper-sourced palladium derivative alloy reinforced with carbon nanotube sheets with about a six inch thickness…"_

" _How much can it take?"_

" _A single cruiser accelerator round, easy, after that it gets dicey. It handles Oculi beam weaponry like a charm. It might…and I do stress 'might'…be able to take a bolt from one of our secondary cannons under the right conditions but let's try to avoid that, eh?...The barrier systems are second to none. They will shrug off a round from our secondary cannons, although the primary will just rip right through them. Weaponry is by far the best improvement. We ran a refit on the point defense laser system, mostly adding a couple more turrets and updating the targeting software, nothing too major. Secondary armament consists of several banks of our newly christened Peltast torpedoes…"_

" _And they are?"_

" _Basically Javelin torpedoes just with a faster traveling speed and a slightly larger explosive yield. We also replaced the missing mass accelerator, although with a more miniaturized version. It won't do well against shielded targets, but we've loaded it with shredder rounds so it'll work well against ship hulls and as a ground support weapon. And…the_ _coup de grâce…we've mounted two turreted magnetic-hydrodynamic cannons on the hull, one under the nose and another in the middle of the top section of the craft…"_

" _What's the yield?"_

" _They're almost as good as our Vanguard-class secondary cannons, power restrictions forced us to reduce the yield by about ten percent but it'll still rip through most anything that finds itself in the way."_

" _Excellent. What about stealth systems?"_

" _Once we pulled out all the nonessential rooms, crew quarters, the latrines, etc… we used the space to install a replica of our stealth systems into the ship. The emissions control and ECM suites are essentially just as good as our own, the one difference being that it can't maintain thermal stealth for as long due to space restrictions but it'll definitely work well for a substantial time before needing venting. The armor's natural dark coloration already helps somewhat against visual detection, but I'd still advise staying out of visual and LADAR range if you can."_

" _Understood. I'd like to get it manned and launched as soon as possible. When will the final system checks be complete?"_

" _They're already done."_

" _Fantastic…"_

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 **Just a quick note before you all run off to do other things, I recently posted a poll on my profile asking what type of combat specialization everyone would like Prometheus to have, which will be something that will pop up as the story goes on. The poll will stay up until the next chapter is ready to be posted (two weeks or more). Please let me know if the descriptions I put there are inadequate or if there are any problems. Please go and vote as the result will definitely have an effect on how the story plays out. Thanks everyone.**

 **R &R!**


	7. First Contact

**A/N: Hello again everyone, well, college has started back up which means, if it already wasn't evident enough, that my update rate is going to slow down. I will commit to doing at least one update a month though. Hopefully this extra long chapter makes up for the wait this time, eh? Anyway, one final note, I have taken down the poll and posted a new one based upon the suggestion of Jack100. I agree with him when he said that only three Prometheus specializations were kind of bland, so I decided to run with his suggestions and post another poll with them in it. I've changed a couple of the names and some of the details for balance, but the original ideas belong to him. Be aware, there will be further specialization options for each of these later so choose wisely! Thanks again Jack! To everyone else, please vote on the poll and enjoy the story!**

 **Talimancer: Glad you like the base development. I was afraid that it would end up being a little dry.**

 **Redcollector: Glad you're enjoying this, I will neither confirm nor deny your question although this chapter will begin to answer it.**

 **Apocalyptos: Glad you're enjoying this. Yeah, I meant morale. Thanks for catching that, it can be hard to edit papers this long by yourself as you may or may not be aware.**

 **Indecisive Bob: The last chapter covered a nine day time period. There's a lot you can do with an restless workforce, eh?**

 **Dracconis: Who says they will work with Shep? … You never know…**

 **Junsedov2.0: 1. Not for a while at least 2. To tell you the truth, I never really planned on naming Promethean intelligence. I'll keep that in mind though 3. As stated in the chapters the Oculi, F-47s, and F-61s are a stopgap measure. Prometheus will replace them 4. Read this chapter**

 **Jack100: I've already kinda replied to you by PM, but thanks again for your suggestion. Thanks for the help and support!**

 **Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

 **000000000000000**

 _ANOMALY DETECTED . . . . . . . . ALERT! . . . SOURCE INDENTIFICATION UNKNOWN . . . . ._

 _DETECTOR IDENTIFICATION: PLATFORM #9167400 . . . . . DIAGNOSTIC ROUTINES RUNNING . . . ._

 _ALERT! . . . NO ERRORS FOUND . . . . . ACCESSING SIGNAL . . . TRIANGULATING . . . DONE . . . ._

 _SIGNAL SOURCE IDENTIFIED . . . . SOURCE DESIGNATION: TERMINUS SYSTEMS, CALESTON RIFT . . . . . ERROR . . . SOURCE BEING MASKED . . . ._

 _REPLY ? Y/N . . . . . . ACQUIRING CONSENSUS . . . . . CONSENSUS ACHIEVED . . . . . . CONNECTING . . . . . ._

" _QUERY: INDENTIFICATION?"_

" _ **WE ARE PROMETHEUS."**_

 _000000000000000000_

Harbinger was…less than pleased. Not angry, no, he never got angry. Emotions were an organic weakness, one that perfection and ascension purged from its creations. His response, however, was not as a result of the loss of Prometheus itself, nor of the extensive damage done to the Collector base and its inhabitants, even the Promethean's active resistance upon awakening had not bothered him at all…after all…their victory was inevitable. The fledgling Reaper would return to the fold, in time, whether by peace or force it mattered little. No, his response was a result of the loss of so much _time_ …and time was one of the few forces that even the Reapers could not bend. Harbinger needed time.

He needed time to create another Vanguard, a role that Prometheus was to have filled. He needed time to prepare this Cycle's harvest properly before their Arrival. He needed time so that the rest of his brethren could complete the monstrous amount of repairs and system checks required after each hibernation.

The Collectors would not be enough. Harbinger knew that for certain now. The likelihood of them now succeeding in their new task, which was yet another full human Ascension, he calculated to be in the single digit range, especially once he factored in the possibility…no… _probability_ that his wayward brother would be…less than understanding of their mission, and yet…Harbinger ordered them forward anyways.

The Collector's efforts would, at the very least, keep this Cycle's harvest off balance. It would distract them, divide them, wear them down. It would also provide Harbinger with all the information he would need to counter the organics during the coming Cycle. In the end, it was a meager sacrifice to make in order to ensure the Cycle's success. Victory would be theirs…

…just as it always was.

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" _Command! We've got a situation!",_ the frantic call rolled through Prometheus' systems like a tidal wave. The response took nanoseconds as Command flocked to the source…

" _What have you got, Commander?",_ Command was calm, its component Prometheans seeming out of place in the chaos that now was Prometheus' Signals Intelligence Unit.

" _An intercept! Hot off the airways! We have a confirmed order to the Collectors! They're going to raid another colony!"_ , the SigInt officer said, racing through his words as fast as he could.

" _What's the source? The target?"_

" _Cyrene, sir! Narvour System! Source was an intercepted radio transmission from the command channels!..."_ , the commander slowed down as the weight of his next words began to settle in with him, _"…our Reaper command channels. The signal identification code matches the one from the Collector base. It's Him, sir…it's them."_ Command's orbs instantly darkened at the news…they weren't ready to respond to such an attack…they accessed the comm network…

" _Ops, Command, we have confirmed intel regarding a Collector strike on another colony by the name of Cyrene. How long would it take to recall all essential combat elements, as well as auxiliaries, and arrive at the colony?"_ , relative silence reined in the SigInt server as they awaited the answer.

" _Command, Ops, ETA approximately twenty-four hours. Should we send out a recall order?",_ came Ops response.

" _Affirmative, Ops, issue the order and then get us to the colony…",_ Command's attention turned back to the SigInt Commander, _"when will the Collectors arrive?"_

" _The transmission indicates arrival at twenty hours from now, sir, and considering that this is a Reaper led force we're dealing with, I'd expect them to be punctual.",_ Command pulsed in acceptance.

" _Ops! Get us moving ASAP! And get Major to a briefing server! We need a plan for when we arrive in system!"_ , Command yelled.

" _Yes, sir!"_

 _000000000000000000_

The newly made briefing server now held the largest single assembly of Prometheans seen since their creation. Thousands of troops, pilots, commanders, and officers gathered in inside the massive digital structure, their voices rapidly darting through electronic space between them as they all grew concerned at the sudden recall. One voice, however, finally brought order to the chaos…

" _Attention on deck!",_ Major shouted. All other conversation instantly quieted and the present orbs glowed in attention as a single of Command's orbs moved towards the front.

" _At ease!",_ he ordered, the Prometheans dimmed slightly as they waited for the commander to fill them in… _"Ladies and gentlemen! As of 0337 Zulu time our Signals Intellegence group intercepted orders sourced from Reaper origins with the Collectors being the recipient! This information has been double and triple checked by both our SigInt and Intelligence teams…",_ the speaker's orb began to dim under the weight of his report, _"and both agree with high certainty that this message is genuine. The Collectors' objective? To attack and abduct another human colony, just like what happened to ours…"_ , total silence reigned, the assembled Promethean's orbs simmered in restrained anger, _"We are not ready, and we will not be ready for a large-scale engagement like this for some time…yet but now we have no choice. You have all been recalled from your posts in order to partake in the coming operation! This is our first REAL mission everyone! The Collectors will be hard! They will be tough! But we WILL beat them nonetheless! AM I RIGHT MARINES?!"_

" _HOORAH!"_

" _AM I RIGHT TROOPERS?!"_

" _HOOAH, SIR!"_

" _SAILORS?!"_

" _AYE, AYE!"_

" _PILOTS?!"_

" _SIR, YES SIR!"_

" _EXCELLENT!",_ the Promethean commander pulsed in acceptance, _"Then I leave you all in Major's capable hands. Let's give'em hell ladies!"_ , the orb then refocused on Major, _"Major, you have the floor."_ Major's orb pulsed in acknowledgement before the speaker quickly left, leaving him standing alone before those assembled.

" _Let's get straight into it then. Intel from the intercepted transmission points to the colony of Cyrene as being the target for this new Collector raid."_ , a picture of an arid world sprang to life, spotted by small specks of blue and green scattered across fields of brown and tan, _"Cyrene is a rare terrestrial moon world that sits in orbit of the gas giant Idmon. The world serves as an important way station between the Titan and Omega Nebulas because of the primary relay that stands in the system. This is the sole connection between the two systems, which means that the colony, although fairly small with a population of only fifty thousand, possesses an excellent defensive network to protect a number of fueling, maintenance, and mining facilities that exist on the world from slaver or pirate attacks. The planet has a humanly tolerable environment with an arid biome emphasis. The most likely target for a focused Collector assault, if their modus operandi holds, would be the capital city…"_ a red dot flashed in the middle of the northern hemisphere, which enlarged to show a sizable colonial settlement sporting mostly prefabricated buildings with a couple more permanent buildings that evidenced the colony's wealth and accelerated development, _"…of Padwell, home of nearly eighty percent of the colony's population. As such, we will focus our efforts on pushing and keeping the Collectors out of the area once we arrive. Hopefully, we'll arrive before the Collector's operation is complete, if we do not, this becomes just a search and rescue mission…"_ Major's orb shimmered in solemn emotion as he acknowledged the possibility, _"…and we all know the likelihood of finding any survivors if that happens. If, however, we arrive while the Collectors are still working, the situation gets serious. First priority is the capture or neutralization of any Collector craft in system, attempts will be made to take them with boarding parties to prevent loss of civilian life, but, as we all know, a quick death would be better than the option the bugs are serving. Lieutenant Greaves!",_ an orb pulsed in acknowledgement, _"your company has been the primary force for our other boarding operations, so this mission is your baby. Get it done.",_ the other orb pulsed one last time.

" _Now, the land engagement is where this gets nasty. For those of you uninformed, the Collectors sport excellent automatic rifles with a heavy emphasis on biotic ability. They even have armor in the shape of Praetorian-class heavy husks along with Scion-class support troops for long-range firepower. They may also possess a sizable compliment of standard husks and other nasties, so this will get bloody. The good news is that our mechanical forms render us immune to Seeker Swarm toxins, which levels the playing field. The bad news is that we will have immobile civilians trapped within a free fire zone."_ Major's orb darkened as he continued with a soft order, _"Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot, and will not, save everyone. Let's get that out of the way first. This is war, troopers, and our enemies are playing this game with no holes barred and all hands on deck. This is total war, everyone, and no one is safe in this conflict. So if you can safely get a civilian to safety, do it, but if doing such an action endangers your platforms to an unreasonable extent you DO NOT MOVE."_ , a small outcry of discontent met Major's words, _"You all MUST understand this. The Reapers will not care about our societal niceties, no, instead, they will use them against us. They will draw you out…and then they will destroy you. Right now, your platforms and equipment are more valuable to our efforts than a few saved civilians."_ , the outcry began to quiet as Major's explanation sunk in, _"And to top this off, during this mission we will be outnumbered, likely outgunned on the ground, and we will have to fight for every inch. In addition, until the orbit is clear, we will be without air cover. This means that we are going in hard, troopers! Explosives…mechs…heavy weapons…we're taking it all and if you get into a tight spot, you WILL use them regardless of civilian considerations. Am I clear?"_

" _Sir, yes sir!",_ came the collective response.

" _Good! Now, let's get into the particulars…"_

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" _Commander! I've got a massive contact cutting through the Omega System!_

" _Which probe, Ensign?"_

" _Probe #43, sir!"_

" _Can you get a profile off of it?"_

" _Not much, I'm not getting anything off of Radar or thermal. LADAR's not giving anything concrete. The best I can get is this visual, sir, it's a bit grainy but…well, you best see for yourself."_

" _It can't possibly be that bad…"_

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… _Comm! get me Headquarters!"_

" _Yes, sir!"_

"… _Command! This is Cepheus Station! We've got a probable contact with a Sovereign-class Geth dreadnaught! I repeat! A Sovereign-class dreadnaught!... Roger that! Holding for the Director…"_

 _0000000000000000000_

History would one day see Prometheus' twenty-three hour dash to Cyrene as a miracle of navigation and engineering as it pushed its engines and reactors past their breaking point, but for the crew of the rouge Reaper the trip only felt like the drive before a funeral. They feared that they would be too late to save anyone…and that they would merely be left to pick up the pieces. That feeling, however, quickly evaporated once Prometheus arrived at its destination…

…and found three Collector cruisers sitting in system. One stood in orbit, keeping guard for its fellows. One appeared to be lifting off from the planet's surface, presumably loaded with human captives. The last remained near the colonial capital. Its loading must be incomplete, the Prometheans reasoned, they still had a chance! And so, with one last surge of power into FTL, Prometheus raced towards the first cruiser.

" _Reversion to real space achieved! All stations stand by to engage!",_ Command announced. _"Helm, drift?"_

" _Just twenty K off! We're within spitting distance of its port side!"_

" _Good! Sensors! What have we got?"_

" _No human lifesigns detected on the first cruiser, sirs! The one coming up has a full load though!"_

" _Roger that! Weps!..."_

" _Sirs!"_

" _We want that first cruiser cored!...and hit the engines of the second with our Vanguard cannons once it escapes atmosphere!"_

" _Aye, aye! Targeting!..."_ Prometheus' massive frame twisted in response as it lined up with the cruiser's open side, main cannon glowing with channeled power… _"Solution acquired! Firing!"_ Instantly a stream of molten metal cut through space towards its target. The Collector vessel didn't stand a chance. The beam quickly dug through its midsection before two of Prometheus' secondary cannons joined in, adding insult to injury by completely bisecting the ship in two. _"Target destroyed!"_ The second cruiser, meanwhile, had managed to claw its way out of Cyrene's atmosphere. To the Prometheans horror, though, it didn't fire upon them, instead it channeled every scrap of spare energy it had into its mass effect core…

It was going to jump and the Prometheans only had a split second to react…

" _X-Ray Two is jumping!"_ , came the frantic yell

" _Weps, take it down!",_ Command shouted.

" _Cannons firing!"_ , the cannons' response was instant, deadly, and, unfortunately for Prometheus, did their job too well. With the primary cannon's capacitors still charging and only three secondary cannons available, the weapons operators had let loose with all their remaining heavy firepower in a bit to prevent the Collectors' escape. The first Vanguard beam hit the engines cleanly, effectively reducing the cruiser's drive systems to molten metal. The second hit simultaneously, with a slight error in the targeting causing it to hit further up the ship, but it luckily only cut uninhabited storage and system bays. The third beam, much to Prometheus' dismay, missed its intended target completely. Faced with mere milliseconds to react and little time to form a proper targeting solution the Promethean operators had fired all their weapons on reflex with what little targeting telemetry they had. The result, for the last beam, was most unfortunate. The off target beam scythed through the rear starboard hold before cutting into the main chamber hidden behind it. Thousands of captured humans died instantly before the horrified operators shut the weapon down, leaving hundreds more humans in their pods to loosen from their restraints and drift into the unforgiving blackness of space.

" _SHIT!",_ came the collective exclamation from Prometheus' bridge crew.

" _What just happened?!",_ Command shouted.

" _One of the cannons didn't have a proper firing solution before we fired it off, sirs!",_ came Weps' reply.

" _God damn it! Comms! Tell Greaves that he and his attached forces are on search and rescue duty! Get them out there! Right! NOW!"_

" _Aye, aye!"_ , the tension on Prometheus' digital 'bridge' saturated the air as its inhabitants grew angry and disgruntled at the mistake while, outside, three Occuli squadrons detached from Prometheus with a company of troops equipped with EVA gear accompanying them.

" _Keep your eyes on the ball, people!",_ Command forcefully reminded, _"We still have a job to do! We can rage and mourn once the colony is safe! Conn! take us down!"_

" _Aye, sirs!"_ , Prometheus' frame swiftly rocketed towards the surface in response, flames biting at its plating from the heat of re-entry before it reached Cyrene's lower atmosphere. The sight that met their 'eyes' once they breached the cloud barrier was one of utter tranquility…if it wasn't for the sight of a final Collector cruiser standing on the outskirts of Cyrene's capital city…

" _Major! This is Command! You are cleared for launch! Get the first wave on the ground, now!",_ a digital static pulse of acknowledgement was the only reply as the rogue Reaper decelerated rapidly, its forelimbs splaying out before it collided with the ground as the enemy cruiser rose to face it…

00000000000000000

" _Falcon 2, you are cleared for launch. Give'em hell for us.",_ the radio voice was all business as the dark blue UT-47 Kodiak shifted on its bay platform in preparation for launch.

" _Roger that, Ops. Falcon 2, heading out.",_ one final small jerk took the craft as it lifted into the air while its occupants braced against the straps in their seats. The shuttle was one of the many craft launching from Prometheus' bays for every second it spent on the ground. Falcon 2's shuttles, however, were not loaded with Geth style troops or heavy armament like the rest of the Oculi and the few other UT-47's that took to the skies, their cargo was of a more…organic nature.

For former Hierarchy Lieutenant Commander, now the official Promethean Auxiliary Commander, Egnalius little had changed from his previous life within the Hierarchy military. Leading troops into combat wasn't a new experience for him and while being appointed to command Prometheus' Auxiliary Corps was quite the surprise, he was happy enough to roll with the punches. He would certainly admit, however, that this was the strangest combat unit he had ever served on. Made up of a motely assortment of nearly every species in Citadel space, the few former slaves who had agreed and been found 'combat ready' by Prometheus' medical staff had been quickly thrown together and equipped with heavily upgraded and modified pirate gear, the remains of the Promethean assault on Taitus. Their weapons, however, were state of the art, ranging from standard Geth Pulse rifles to a couple of the new Archer grenade launchers. The only point of serious concern Egnalius had was the little time he had to collect and train his new 'command', which had only existed for a little over a week before this emergency deployment. The problem wasn't so much with the people themselves but with all the diversity that came with them. The easiest ones for Egnalius to integrate had been the dozen Turians that formed the core of his new fighting force. Every Turian possessed the same basic military training, a product of their required military service, and Egnalius knew how each of them could be expected to perform at the very least. The remaining two-dozen soldiers in 1st platoon were another story entirely. His command team, a separate force attached directly to him, typified this reality all too well.

First, came the two Turians, Varus and Cilia Rivaen, a brother and sister who had gotten out of the Hierarchy Marine Corps nearly a year before only for their small colony to get hit by slavers a few months later. During his service, Varus had been trained as an armory technician, specializing in weapon modification, which, by proxy, made him quite the weapons expert, as he never took apart a weapon that he couldn't use. As such, he sported the team's Archer GLS and its Spitfire heavy assault rifle. Cilia, on the other hand, had trained as a communications officer, a purpose which she continued to serve in her new organization as was evidenced by the two small, long range antennae attached to the back of her armor in addition to a standard Geth Pulse rifle.

The third team member was a human by the name of Trevor Butler. A mechanic by trade and a colonial militiaman by choice, the former Terminus settler had become something of an excellent general purpose engineer, which had quickly earned himself a place on Egnalius' team. He sported a top-of-the-line Serrace-line omnitool replica in addition to his Pulse rifle.

Surprisingly, a Batarian was the fourth team member. Clad in the lightest armor present on the team and carrying a Geth-style shotgun, Dhonim Fenralak had originally been trained by his slave masters as a gladiator for Khar'shan's entertainment industry. As such, the scarred Batarian had endured some of the most brutal slave training the slavers could devise…a place where the losers didn't survive. It did, however, teach him much about close quarters and hand-to-hand combat, making him one of the most competent and vicious CQB combatants Egnalius had met, his lack of discipline notwithstanding.

The final team member was a Quarian, rare enough in the Batarian slave trade, but Vun'Yemma nar Xayya was an even rarer commodity. He was a biotic. Considered a valuable resource by the Quarian Admiralty Board, the few Quarian biotics in existence were always well protected with one exception…during their pilgrimages. This became very evident to Vun when an attempted journey through a couple Terminus worlds led to his single marine escort being killed and himself being taken as a 'prestigious' item for the slave market. Although not as well trained as any actual military biotic, the young Quarian still possessed an impressive amount of power and with him being one of only three biotics in the entire Auxiliary force, his abilities were in high demand and he was an excellent shot with his Geth Plasma SMG.

" _Touch down in thirty seconds!",_ their pilot advised before the Promethean refocused on getting his charges safely to the ground, _"Be advised, the LZ is still taking long-range fire! Be careful out there! Good luck, Commander!"_ Egnalius unconsciously nodded in acknowledgement before keying his radio.

" _Alae team! Prepare for landing!",_ with his words, he and his team slowly began to get to their feet and line up beside the door, weapons at the ready as Egnalius used the last few seconds of peace to go over their mission one last time.

With the actual Promethean forces committed to active combat with the Collectors, the auxiliaries had been tasked with the safer…and more survivable, job of moving behind Promethean lines in order to treat and secure any civilians they came across. To that end, they had been provided with a number of autoinjectors containing a serum devised by Promethean R&D in order to counteract Seeker swarm venom and, in addition, each of his squads had a single Trooper series Promethean attached to them, which was manned by a trained medic and kitted out with a double compliment of a standard Alliance medical loadout.

 _Speak of the devil._ Egnalius thought with a restrained twitch as a navy and grey Trooper platform moved to stand beside him. Specialist Gary Thompson, as he had found out when introduced, had originally served as a combat medic within the Alliance Marine Corps who, unfortunately, found his first tour of duty cut short when the Collectors attacked the colony of Poseidon several months ago. He only held a single Pulse rifle as armament, but his brand new metal frame was covered in bags and pouches that were practically bursting with his supplies. Egnalius had to admit…his trigger finger still twitched every time a Promethean came too close…

" _15 seconds!",_ their pilot called once again.

" _Team! Equipment check!",_ Egnalius ordered in response. His team members quickly checked their own front before checking the back of the man in front of them…

" _Two, ready.",_ Varus replied.

" _Three, ready.",_ Cilia added.

" _Four is green.",_ Butler answered.

" _Five, ready to fight.",_ Dhonim grunted.

" _Six is prepared.",_ came Vun's slightly nervous voice.

" _Seven, okay!",_ the Promethean responded with enthusiasm.

" _Five seconds! Popping the hatch! Get set to come out swinging!",_ their pilot interjected as the shuttle's side door opened and the now open bay was filled with the sounds of gunfire and the smells of smoke and blood. The open doorway revealed a previously pristine landscape now marred by pits and craters and tracer fire that zipped amongst the newly broken buildings of Padwell's landscape. The shuttle decelerated; ground rushing up towards the team as they tensed in preparation to jump out into the shattered four-way intersection that lay beyond…

Touchdown…

" _Drop! Drop! Drop!",_ their pilot yelled. As one the team rushed out of the craft before taking up defensive stances while the shuttle quickly lifted off behind them.

" _All Auxilia elements,"_ Egnalius barked as his team stood up as proceeded towards the nearest cover, _"this is Actual, report in!"_

" _Squad 1, standing by.",_ a turian voice responded

" _Squad 2, on the ground.",_ the deeply tinged voice marked it as Batarian.

" _Squad 3, we've got some civvies in our LZ. We're securing them now and will be combat ready momentarily.",_ a distracted human voice added.

" _Roger that Three, continue as planned, out."_ Egnalius switched his radio to broadcast on Command's frequency with a facial twitch under his helmet, _"Command, this is Auxilia, my command is intact and awaiting orders, over."_

" _Roger that, Auxilia, pre-mission plans are currently unchanged. Proceed to your assigned sectors, over."_ , Command replied calmly as Egnalius' team finally warily crouched into cover.

" _Good copy, Command, Auxilia out."_ Egnalius changed his radio back, _"All Auxilia elements, plan is unchanged. Proceed to your sectors and evacuate those civilians. Actual, out."_ Finally, Egnalius stopped transmitting as his helmet turned to where the rest of his team hunkered beside him. "We've got a job to do. Let's move out.", he ordered. A chorus of mumbled acknowledgements met his words as they all stood and proceeded down the easternmost street, with half the team moving on either side of the road. The damage to the mostly prefabricated city only got worse as they moved further towards the city center, which was where most of the fighting was taking place…and where recon had indicated that the Collectors had assembled the population before loading them onto their ships...

Thus, it didn't take long for them to run into the first signs of battle. The road branched into a y-junction with a small shop of some kind standing at the end. Not much remained of the structure now, the whole front of the prefabricated building had been blasted away with the remains being covered in bullet holes and carbon scoring. It appeared that a major firefight had taken place here, judging by the dozen Collector corpses strewn about, accompanied by a similar number of husks and a couple of downed Scions. What really caught the team's attention, though, was the five Promethean Troopers and single grey YMIR that laid, obviously disabled, inside the shop.

"Looks like a hell of a fight.", Trevor ventured, voice muffled slightly under his combat helmet.

"These things are dead…right?", Vun asked, voice quivering slightly as he prodded a Collector corpse with his boot. The sharp retort Dhonim's shotgun emptying into another lifeless corpse was his only answer as the team moved into the destroyed store.

"Enough.", Egnalius snapped, "Save your bullets for the enemy." Dhonim merely grunted as he continued to look over the scattered Promethean corpses.

"Think this could be fixed up?", Varus suddenly spoke up from where both he and Trevor had congregated by the broken YMIR.

"Maybe…", Trevor shrugged as he crouched down to examine the battered machine, "…right leg's totaled, torso armor needs replaced, optics are probably fried from those two rounds on the faceplate…" Egnalius' head turned towards them.

"Mark it for retrieval, just in case the operator hasn't done so already.", Egnalius added.

"Copy that.", came their collective response. Egnalius' head turned once again as he searched for his final team member. He found Cilia standing by the broken doorframe, rifle resting on the shattered metal, as she scanned their surroundings.

"Have anything?", he asked as he walked over beside her. The Turian remained silent for a moment, until she finally decided to speak.

"I'm picking up a lot of Reaper signals getting bounced around up ahead. From what I'm hearing over the net, the troops ahead of us are taking a beating.", the grim tone alone spoke volumes about how bad the situation sounded.

"We still have a job to do, and we will get it done. Collectors or no.", he replied confidently.

"Never thought differently, sir.", Egnalius' eyes swept the broken battlefield one last time before he keyed his radio.

" _Alae, let's get moving again. We still have some ground to cover."_ , no verbal response was needed as his team formed back up in moments before heading down the left side street. Very little notable occurred for the next couple of minutes as the team continued deeper into the town square. A few stray explosions here, a ring of ricocheting gunfire there. The one constant in their advance, however, was the echoes of the heavy combat that was taking place ahead of them and, to their consternation, it appeared to be moving their way. The team began to tense, Vun's nervousness causing his trigger finger to twitch on his guard as the other team members found their stances tightening and eyes darting as the continued moving. Then, much to their momentary confusion, the closest fighting seemed to suddenly bleed off…

…only to flare up once more on the next city block. They didn't stay confused for long, however, as a frantic radio call rippled in the clear over the airways…

" _This is Grinder Actual to any nearby combat capable forces! Collector troops have broken through my southern perimeter and have wiped out Grinder 3! I repeat! My southern perimeter is gone and I have no further reserves! Any available combat units please respond!",_ the voice cried. Egnalius took only a split second to respond.

" _Grinder, this is Auxilia Actual, my team and I are on station and ready to assist, over.",_ his response was punctuated as his team began to run, aiming for the firefight that they could hear ahead of them.

" _Glad to hear from you, Auxilia! Are any of your other elements able to assist, over?"_ , Egnalius switched his radio frequency.

" _Auxilia, this is Actual, are any of you close to Grinder's southern perimeter?",_ he asked.

" _This is One, we're tied up on the eastern side. Cannot assist, over."_

" _Two is on the way, ETA ten minutes, over."_

" _This is Three, we're evacuating a bunch of civilians from a building that Brawler overran. Unable to assist, over."_

" _Actual copies. One, Three, continue to proceed. Two, move to my position to reinforce us. How copy?",_ Egnalius ordered. A trio of acknowledgements met his instructions before he spoke to Grinder once again.

" _Grinder, this is Auxilia, I only have a single squad able to assist, ETA ten minutes. My team and I are moving to engage, over."_

" _Roger that, Auxilia, my remaining forces in the area are commanded by Lieutenant Greaves, callsign Grinder 2-1. Move up and assist however possible. Hold the line, Commander! Out!"_ , Grinder distractedly added before cutting the connection.

" _Yes sir.",_ Egnalius absentmindedly responded as his team began to stack up behind what sounded like the last prefab between them and the fight. _"Grinder 2-1, this is Auxilia Actual, my team and I are approaching from the southwest. Watch your fire, over!"_ Alae team began to move into the building, Varus and Dhonim first, before fanning out and assessing the situation as the crouched behind the building's front wall.

" _You're a sight for sore eyes, Actual! We are pinned down on the northeast corner of the block and have the Collectors approaching from the northwest. We'd be much obliged if you could hit them from behind, over!"_ , the rushed voice on the other end was clipped as Egnalius poked his head out from cover to peer out from blown out prefab window he had taken cover behind.

" _Auxilia copies, moving to assist.",_ with that Egnalius took a split second to take in the situation.

The sight didn't look particularly inviting. The eight Promethean Troopers and single YMIR present in the two buildings across from his team marked Grinder 2-1's position. They all appeared to sport battle damage of some type or another, with the YMIR sporting a dozen bullet holes on its chest alone. Between Alae and Grinder stood fifty meters of terraced ground, dipping into the remains of a public fountain and garden at the bottom. Several squads of Collectors of different types stood dotted amongst the square and the building wreckage along the sides. Most dangerous, however, were the four Scions grouped up and bombarding Grinder from the square center.

Just as Egnalius completed his assessment, the Promethean YMIR fired its particle beam at the Scions, taking one out and leaving the other with one less arm. Egnalius wasted no more time. "Varus," he whispered, "white phosphorus on the Scions and buildings. Everyone else fire on my signal." The team tensed, Vun's fingers tightening in a death grip, as they waited for the fated order. Varus' response was slightly slower as he pulled out his Archer GLS, selected his desired grenade, and readied it for firing. Egnalius nodded, they were ready.

"Fire at will!", he ordered.

The reaction was instant, five Pulse rifles and a shotgun accompanied a trio of _Thumps!_ from Varus' grenade launcher as Alae team opened fire. The Scions instantly disappeared in a cloud of white smoke. A dozen Collectors met their end from the following two rounds which found their way into the two buildings that sat on the other two corners of the square. Five Collectors were killed in the team's opening bursts of fire, with one further being wounded as Vun's rounds tore through its right leg. The Collectors' reaction was near instantaneous as half their number turned and focused on Alae's appearance. Their reaction, however, reduced the fire on Grinder, who capitalized by intensifying their fire, taking down another four before the Collectors recovered.

Once recovered, however, the Collectors began to exact their toll. Grinder suffered the worst. Emboldened by Alae's arrival, their platforms had risen out of cover and stood fairly exposed while firing. It was a mistake that was to cost three of them their existence. Alae didn't escape unscathed either as Vun, Egnalius, and Trevor lost their shields, stopping their assault as they hid to recharge. Varus was less fortunate, as his shields went down a round grazed his left arm, sending him ducking back into cover. To make the situation worse, two more groups of Collectors appeared from the northwest, accompanied by husk and…

" _Praetorians!...",_ came the cry from Grinder 2-1 as a duo of beams scythed through the air, one hit Grinder's YMIR, taking down its shields and scorching its armor, the second cut through Alae's building, bisecting the wall and cutting through the roof, which nearly collapsed on top of Cilia and Dhonim.

"Dhonim! Cilia! Move left! Stall those reinforcements!", Egnalius yelled. The two Alae moved quickly, darting out a side door and into the next building over, but not before Dhonim's shotgun dropped two Husks that were sprinting towards them. Across the square, Grinder's YMIR shifted and fired its weapons at the first Praetorian, its shields only held for a second before failing. Alae and Grinder were quick to capitalize. Rifle rounds and two Archer grenades tore it apart, sending the previously deadly mech crashing to the ground. The second Praetorian replied by cutting through Grinder's still unshielded YMIR while its fellows peppered Alae with rifle fire. Another dozen Collectors arrived…

" _This is Auxilia Actual to any nearby forces!"_ , Egnalius cried into his radio as he blind fired a burst, _"the Collectors have us outnumbered, out gunned, and we are about to be overrun! We need immediate assistance! Over!"_ His statement was punctuated by quartet of rounds cutting down Specialist Thompson's platform with a grinding shriek.

" _This is Two! ETA five minutes!"_

" _This is Grinder Actual! I have nothing for you, Auxilia! Pull your men out as best you can!",_ Egnalius cursed under his breath at the answers. He knew a retreat under this kind of fire was at best, inadvisable, and at worst, like now, near suicide. They were pinned.

His team intensified its fire once more as the Collectors were distracted by elimating Grinder 2-1's remaining troops. Five more fell. Eight others vaporized due to Varus' launcher. Egnalius could hear a fulisade of shotgun and rifle fire come from the building to their left as Cilia and Dhonim desperately tried to keep the Collectors from flanking the rest of the team. Grinder 2-1 was wiped out. Collector fire intensified. Vun was hit as a round breached his barrier and tore into his shoulder, spinning him to the ground.

"Vun! Status!", Egnalius yelled as he cut down another Collector before dropping back into cover. Vun's only reply was a strained cry. Egnalius' eyes darted in Vun's direction. His eyes quickly picked out the hole torn in Vun's armor, blue blood leaking down its previously clean surface. Long term, it was merely a flesh wound, easily treatable once back at a proper medical center. Short term, however, tissue damage, antibiotic injections, and blood loss meant that Vun's arm was out of action. Egnalius cursed again, his head turning back to his other squadmates. He saw Butler frantically firing his rifle, dropping Collector after Collector as the distance closed to the last few meters. He saw Varus fire the last remaining grenade in his launcher clip before pulling out his Spitfire to continue his work. Egnalius joined them, emptying his thermal clip into the enemy as quickly as he could…

A Praetorian particle beam cut through the building, showering the team with debris as they dove to the ground…

A Collector made it to the front door, only dropping due to Egnalius' quick reaction with his sidearm…

Two more Collectors stepped through the doorway, one was brought down by the last rounds from Egnalius' clip…

The Collector's head suddenly exploded as the sharp crack of a sniper rifle echoed across the battlefield.

" _Alae team, stand by for assistance.",_ a voice spoke through the radio. Egnalius found it strange…where did the voice come from?

His answer came from five Promethean Hunter platforms decloaking from behind the Collector forces. Two sported grenade launchers. The others held rifles. One of them, however, was different than the other four. Its rifle was clearly modified with a makeshift underbarrel grenade launcher. Its platform bore a red stripe on its shoulder pads and a symbol stood out on its pitch black chest on its chest…

… _N7…_

The Hunters' appearance quickly threw the Collector's attack into chaos. The grenadiers went after the Praetorian first, taking it down with a barrage of HEAT rounds. The riflemen's advance was just as effective. Their movement was calm and controlled, rifles spitting out short, controlled bursts into Collector after Collector. A dozen fell within the first few thirty seconds. The self-symbolized N7, however, was what really caught Egnalius' eye as a trio of husks and Collectors rushed its form…

The first husk fell with a trio of rounds to the head…

The second died from a sniper round to the face…

The third made it to the N7, only to get impaled on an Omniblade that seemed to flash in out of nowhere…

The N7 quickly spun the corpse around, using it as cover as his right hand continued to fire his rifle…

One Collector died with five rounds in its chest…

The second found the Husk corpse thrown at it and its head removed via Omniblade as it closed…

The last, however, made it to the N7 and struck out with a fist of glowing biotic power…

The N7 seemed to flow around the punch, twisting around as the Collector overextended and ending its life with two rounds through its spine from behind…

Egnalius was stunned. No Geth platform could move that way. They wouldn't even dream of it. He was sure of one thing, however, that soldier was definitely Alliance special forces, his combat style displayed that easily. The soldier's platform, however, had definitely been modified far beyond the original design. It was definitely a sight to see.

The fight wasn't over, however, and the remainder of Alae team quickly got to their feet to cover the Hunters' advance…

" _Viper to ground teams, stand by for air support, danger close.",_ A half dozen Oculi beams followed the message a split second later…

Collectors died from gunfire. Collectors died from grenades. Collectors died from particle beams…

It took only two more minutes of fighting for the last Collector to fall. As the last round was fired, and second squad finally arrived, Egnalius glanced over the corpse-strewn battlefield with a adrenaline deprived apathy. The smell of blood and burned metal hovered over the battlefield. Smoke rose from the buildings as the sounds of battle from the city began to die.

"Commander.", the mechanized voice cut through Egnalius' tired mind like a knife as his helmet twisted to stare at the speaker. It was the N7. "The area is secure. Command needs your men to help the civilians in the city center…"

" _This is Command to all elements! We have detected a mercenary fleet entering the system. All forces are to commence an emergency evacuation! I repeat! All forces fall back to the evac zones for immediate withdrawl!"_ , the call rippled over the radio. Egnalius' mind didn't register the call for a split second, not until the N7 grabbed his arm and pulled him around…

"You heard him, Commander! Get your men in order and get the hell out of here! MOVE!", the Promethean ordered.

" _Yes sir!",_ Egnalius' reply was as automatic as the rapid fire orders that he followed it with. Fifteen seconds was all it took to get his troops up and sprinting for the nearest evac site…

0000000000000000

The orbit of Cyrene soon became just as much a scene of controlled chaos as the surface did. Squadrons of Oculi had already been sent out to delay the mercenaries' arrival but even with the approaching fleet delayed, Command worried. The space around Prometheus swarmed with transport after transport as the surface forces were frantically attempting to get on board before Prometheus was forced to withdraw. The fledgling units of Auxiliary Command were the first on board, after all, they were the least expendable, the amount of troops on the surface and the lack of purpose built transports, however, made a complete evacuation before the mercenaries' arrival unlikely. They had already ordered several platoons to self-destruct in order to save time. Even as Command watched a trio of Oculi reduce an outdated mercenary frigate to a drifting wreck, they knew their efforts wouldn't delay for long enough.

Command certainly knew that the pathetic excuse for an incoming fleet wouldn't be able to scratch Prometheus' shields, let alone manage to reach her armor. The reality of the situation was that the every second they tarried made it more likely that they would be intercepted or followed by interested parties who had been alerted to their presence by the mercenaries' transmissions.

The mercenaries were certainly aware. The two recon frigates that had jumped close to Cyrene had managed to send a transmission before Prometheus had managed to react by jamming and then destroying them. It was a race against time…

…and as the last two delaying squadrons began to get torn apart Command made their decision.

" _This is Command to all units that remain on the surface of Cyrene. We are enacting Delta Protocol. If you are not already on a transport, self-destruct and transfer back to Prometheus. Command out."_ The speed of the Prometheans' evacuation grew frantic with Command's final order. The situation grew even worse once two-dozen mercenary ships finally jumped within firing distance.

" _Sirs! Enemy fleet firing!",_ came the clipped report.

" _Let the shields take it.",_ Command coolly replied. The result of the rounds was just as Command expected…

" _Shields at ninety-eight percent!"_

" _Status on the remaining transports?"_

" _All on board, sirs!",_ came the instant reply. Command sighed with relief.

" _Conn! Get us out of here!",_ they ordered. Prometheus pivoted in acknowledgement, twisting towards the system's relay as it rerouted power to its FTL drive…

…a second later, the dreadnaught was gone…

…a minute after, it was safely through the relay and on its way home…

00000000000000000

 _COMMUNICATIONS LOG (1300 ZULU, 01/04/2185)_

 _SOURCE SERVER: OMEGA NEBULA, SAHRABARIK SYSTEM, OMEGA STATION . . . . . . . ._

"… _So I hear that you're looking for me?..."_

" _That would be correct. We have some work for you, if you're interested."_

" _I'm not a mercenary. You want a hired gun, go talk to the mercs…"_

" _We are not speaking to you about that kind of work, Garrus Vakarian…"_

" _How do you know that name?"_

" _We know a lot of things, Archangel. Be assured, this transmission is secure. I am well aware of the dangers of your chosen profession. I must admit, however, I am quite disappointed. Shepard spoke so highly of you…"_

" _What does Shepard have to do with this?"_

" _Did you really think the threat ended with his death, Vakarian? You know the fight didn't end with Soveriegn. After all, you were one of the most outspoken about the Reapers…"_

" _Get to the point."_

" _We want your help in our efforts to prepare for the Reaper's arrival…"_

" _And how do I know I can trust you?"_

" _Do or don't, it doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. We acknowledge, and I agree, that your participation would make our efforts far more effective. You have the practical experience we need. We could proceed without you, but your assistance would be invaluable."_

" _Even if I was inclined to agree to your offer, I can't leave my team. We've got a job to do and I won't abandon them while the job's not done."_

" _Then bring them with you. This is a galactic scale threat, Vakarian, far more important than your feud with the criminals of Omega. We need all the help we can get. So, I'll ask one last time, will you help us?"_

" _One last question…who are you? Who do you work for?"_

" _You may call me Phantom…and I work for Prometheus."_

"…"

"…"

"… _I'm in. I'll talk with my team. When can I expect you to contact me?"_

" _An agent will get in touch with you shortly. Details will follow in a few days. Thank you for your assistance."_

 _USER - PHANTOM: CONNECTION LOST (DISCONNECTION/DISRUPTION/JAMMING?) . . . . . . ._

"… _I hope I don't regret this…"_

 _CALL TERMINATED . . . . . . . . . ._

 _0000000000000000000_

 _SERVER LOG (2100 ZULU, 01/03/2185)_

 _SOURCE SERVER: PROMETHEUS, TAITUS, TALAVA SYSTEM_

" _So the agents were deployed?"_

" _Yes sir, we left a dozen at Cyrene, dosed'em up with Seeker venom. The mercs won't suspect a thing."_

" _Good, Lieutenant you're dismissed… Dr. Sander, you're sure that the agents were ready?"_

" _As ready as they could be, Major. Frankly, if it were my choice I wouldn't let these people out of my sight for months but…desperate measures and all that."_

" _It'll have to do."_

" _I wish we had more time. I highly doubt the transition for these people will be easy. We will see some breakdowns early on, desertions too…"_

" _You have an estimate?"_

" _Twenty to forty percent I'd say. Could be worse depending upon their working conditions."_

" _Acceptable losses, as long as we have a rudimentary network going fairly soon those losses are tolerable."_

" _I just worry, Major. After all, if we continue down this mindset how long will it be before we start seeing every sacrifice as acceptable?"_

" _That's why we need men like you, doctor. We need people who can hold us accountable."_

" _You know I'll hold you to that."_

" _I pray that you do."_

 **00000000000000000000**

 **R &R!**


	8. Pushback

**A/N: Well, this has certainly been delayed. Sorry about that ladies and gents, the last half of my semester got crazy. I finally got this finished though, hallelujah! Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Redcollector: Glad you found it interesting. He'll play a bigger part in a bit.**

 **Talimancer: Hope this chapter is a bit more to your taste. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter though, fight scenes are always a bitch to write**

 **Dracconnis: Kudos…to you**

 **Trollfnask: Glad I'm living up to your expectations**

 **Jack100: See the A/N. Yeah, one upside to stepping back from something for a while allows you to look at it more objectively. I agree that the sacrifices were more extreme than they should be. I'll certainly make some alterations to the classes later. Canon Reapers actually had pretty good firing arcs if you look at it closer. Sure, their main cannons were forward firing, but they also have secondary cannons on their main 'arms' if you look at the Battle of the Citadel in Mass Effect, which could still core whole ships with a single hit. Plus, you've got swarms of drones with directed energy weaponry. Basically, think of it this way, bees might try to sting a bear to keep him away from their honey, but in the end the bear usually still gets it. The benefits of far superior shielding and weaponry cannot be overrated. Quality versus quantity can go either way, but that regardless it still means a lot of losses for the quantity side. And you're right…I haven't addressed the indoctrination field…and done so deliberately. Plot device anyone? Your ideas are very welcome and helpful. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

 **000000000000000**

 _ACCESSING MEETING LOG #043720, ROOM 249, ALLIANCE HEADQUARTERS, ARCTURUS STATION, ARCTURUS STREAM (20:30 ZULU, 1/10/2185) . . . . . ._

 _WARNING!...MEETING DESIGNATION: TOP SECRET…UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION WILL RESULT IN PUNITIVE ACTION!..._

 _PROCEED?. . . . . . ._

 _USERNAME: HadesDogs_

 _PASSWORD: *************_

 _AUTHORIZATION CONFIRMED…WELCOME AGENT SEEKER…CONNECTING TO SERVER…_

" _Ladies. Gentlemen. Take your seats…"_

"…"

" _I assume all of you have kept abreast of current events and as such I will also assume that you understand the danger currently facing us. For those of you more uninformed, eight days ago Cepheus Station, one of our listening posts inside Terminus space, reported a massive contact cutting through the Omega Nebula. The obtained sensor data was spotty at best, fortunately, however, we obtained enough of a visual profile to identify the craft in question…What you are all looking at is a confirmed contact with a Sovereign-class Geth dreadnaught, the first seen since the mid-stages of the Eden Prime War in 2183. Command is, understandably, very concerned with this new development. If the Geth built another Sovereign, then they might be preparing to make a new offensive into Alliance space…"_

"… _The briefing today will address these new developments as best we can, drawing information from a variety of sources to create this report. Be aware, however, that the intel we possess is still very much incomplete and our insight into our enemy's plans, while vastly improved since the start of the Eden Prime conflict, remains limited. As such, much of the projections made here are based off of speculation and extrapolation of known facts, not present data, take this as you will…"_

"… _We shall start with the initial contact. At 1734 ZULU on January 2, Cepheus Station detected a massive object moving through the Omega system at FTL speeds. Radar and thermal sensors returned negative. Ladar scans remained indeterminate as to the objects shape and composition. The only concrete return the station received came from the long range telescopic cameras, which even then were only able to take a single grainy image of a ship traveling at high speeds. This here is the picture in question…"_

"… _as you can see, mass effect field distortions made the ship profile hardly distinguishable, however, the onboard systems managed to compensate somewhat for the disruption and left the station operator with this…"_

"… _clearly identifiable profile of a Soveriegn-class Geth dreadnaught. The shift commander immediately reported the sighting and at 1752 ZULU the dreadnaught jumped towards the Narvour system…now, this, ladies and gentlemen, is where things get unclear and complicated…"_

"… _according to survivor accounts the Geth vessel's ultimate destination was the colony of Cyrene, an important refueling and repair world that sits on the route between the Omega and Titan Nebulas. The colony at the time was apparently under assault by ships and troops that have been positively identified as Collector in origin. The Geth ship, upon arrival, reportedly destroyed two Collector cruisers in orbit before heading to the surface to land ground troops and eliminate the sole remaining cruiser…"_

"… _survivor reports clearly identify many of the standard Geth loadout: Troopers, Hunters, and the like. An interesting change, however, appeared in the complete lack of any of the traditional heavy Geth units, such as Armatures or Colossi. Instead, the Geth appeared to have utilized a modified version of new YMIR series heavy mech platforms for their heavy troops. Another oddity lies within the Geth forces themselves…"_

"… _as you can see by this security footage from the attack, the standard Geth all sport a variety of small changes from the ones we're used to. Navy blue coloration, armor strength changes, and, most importantly, there's an addition of this…"_

"… _which appears to be a white bird or animal of some sort painted on the right pauldron of each platform. There also appears to be a number of new weapons deployed, from a multi-round grenade launcher to what appears to be particle beam weaponry for their heavy mechs. The real kicker, however, comes from an operative working for the Blue Suns, which sent a flotilla to respond once they lost contact with the colony. This image…"_

"… _clearly shows that the same symbol, albeit a slightly different coloration, is present on the ship as well as the troops in question. What this means…well…the Office is unsure. There is some speculation that this may be a representation of an increase in individuality amongst the Geth, hence the distinction. Another idea speculates that this might stem from a Geth attempt at intimidation or manipulation, rising from their attempts to understand or manipulate organic emotions. Frankly, as we all know, research into the behavior of artificial intelligences is practically nonexistent and what few contacts we do have within the Quarian Migrant Fleet knowledgeable about the subject appear as baffled as we are about the change. Regardless of these visual changes, however, the most revealing piece of information comes from why the Geth appeared to be there…"_

"… _As you may surmise, the Collector presence on Cyrene was not friendly and survivor accounts appear to match up and explain a number of unexplained colonial disappearances and attacks where the characteristics were the same. The colony empty. No signs of resistance. No survivors…"_

" _It appears, ladies and gentlemen, that we have been under attack for quite some time. Six, now seven, human fringe colonies in the Traverse and Terminus have been hit in a similar fashion by Collector forces and it appears, however startling it may seem, that the Geth may be on our side or, at the very least, an enemy of an enemy…"_

" _This does not mean that High Command's position on the matter has changed. As the saying goes, hope for the best yet plan for the worst. As such, rules of engagement regarding the Geth remain unchanged and all Geth forces are to be treated as hostile until proven otherwise. The Office has also worked up a revised force projection and strength report, which were delivered to you upon your arrival. Peruse over them. This may not yet be a full scale war, yet, we must prepare…"_

"… _Now…questions?..."_

 _LOG END,_ _(20:50 ZULU, 1/10/2185) . . . . . . PLAY AGAIN? Y/N? . . . . . ._

 _ACKNOWLEDGED . . . SIGNING OFF . . . . . ._

"…Informative…what's your report on the situation, operative?", a cigarette glowed briefly, illuminating the indistinct face of a man before a plume of smoke replaced it.

" _Sir, the report doesn't even begin to explain half of it, sir."_

"Explain.", the man leaned forward in his chair in interest.

" _The report that I just sent to you from our deep cover operatives only covers the 'official' story. The rest of the report I wished to hold onto until after the presentation."_

"By all means…", a glass cup, full of a brown liquid, appeared at the man's mouth, "…proceed."

" _The unofficial story is far more chaotic. Apparently the Director has been running every free analyst and tech expert he can get his hands on ragged in order get a handle on the situation. I'm sure you're aware that the Alliance has redeployed most of the Second Fleet and partially mobilized the 27_ _th_ _and 84_ _th_ _Marine Divisions, what you may not know is that the Office has apparently pulled half of its reconnaissance and signal intelligence assets out of the Batarian border region and moved them into the Terminus. Vulcan also reported an increasing amount of repeated rumors regarding a preemptive strike by the Fifth Fleet into the Terminus or Perseus Veil. In addition, Yveltal described a massive increase in activity in the Sol System's shipyards, especially around the dreadnaught McKinley and the carrier Julius Caesar. I can claim with almost complete certainty that HIGHCOM is rushing the completion of these vessels, most likely in order to reinforce the Fifth Fleet's push…"_

"As compelling as this is," another plum of smoke rose from the cigarette, "it proves nothing. A defensive action remains just as likely and rumors have never been the most…reliable of sources."

" _And normally, sir, I would agree. Recently events, however, lead me to believe otherwise."_

"Impress me."

" _Zeus managed to pass along confirmation, at great personal risk, that the Director has personally redeployed six N7 teams from anti-SIU efforts and promptly caused them to disappear from the Office's deployment records…"_

Now _that_ was interesting…the Director rarely participated in operational planning personally, but when he did…Cerberus' intelligence network within Alliance HIGHCOM still hadn't entirely recovered from the Director's personal attention following Admiral Kohoku's death. Moral and operational disagreements aside, Jack Harper gave the man a grudging respect. The man knew his job…and he did it well. If the Director was sending N7 teams on deniable ops with only his personal blessing, the AIO must know something big…something big enough to warrant pulling humanity's best fighters away from combating the much loathed and effective Batarian Special Intervention Unit.

"… _after that point, Zeus lost track of them. The real kicker might be why the Director is responding so harshly…"_ , a ping came from a screen in front of him. A quick tap opened the received file. The image displayed what appeared to be a modified Geth Hunter platform, black and with fairly light armor, but the real attention getter was the symbol on its chest…

… **N7** …

The cigarette shook for a moment, the sole evidence of the shock that appeared before fading away under professionalism.

"… _this came with Zeus' report and an additional attachment covering the AIO's in house report on the events. The short of it is, the Geth appeared to be attempting to defend the colony, that we already know, but it also evidences an interesting…human…element in the combatants. It details Geth moving in marine fireteams and using standard Alliance CQB and urban warfare tactics during the battle. Even more interesting, however, are the reports of organic forces working with the Geth on the ground. I'm talking humans, Turians, Asari, even several Batarians. In addition there appears to be a clear distinction between the standard Geth forces and what the report calls 'special forces' troops like the Hunter before you. That N7 logo, however, wasn't found on any of the other Geth present. Frankly sir, the report scared me a bit, if the Geth are evolving faster than we assumed…"_

"I will worry about the Geth, Operative Neptune. You will keep focused on your work.", the reprimand was sharp, shocking its recipient back into focus.

"… _my apologies, sir. In summary, it appears that the Geth are attempting to emulate Alliance operational doctrine, hell, it looks like they're trying to emulate organics in general. I've already run this by a few of my colleagues, using a hypothetical pretense of course, and they all laughed in my face. Frankly, this looks like somebody took the Geth and reprogramed them. It makes no sense, especially if the Reapers are allied with them as I was told in my briefing a few months ago…"_

"Yes…it is most unusual…do you have anything further to report, operative?"

" _Negative, sir."_

"Good, you are dismissed.", the connection died, leaving Jack Harper to his thoughts.

The situation did make no sense, Jack agreed. From the operative's perspective, the Geth had done the equivalent of a complete operational and societal one-eighty from killing organics to saving them. Jack knew, however, that the simplest answer was often the best and the simplest answer appeared rather obvious in retrospect. After all, as Ms. Lawson had once suggested, the situation explained itself _if the Geth had split into more than one faction._ If that was the case, then what had caused the separation? Why would they have the cooperation of a Reaper? Maybe they commandeered it? Maybe they built one themselves? Jack didn't know…and he intended to find out. He had already known about four of the N7 teams' redeployment, two had stationed themselves on Lazarus station soon after his conversation with the Director, a silent warning as to how much the Office really knew about Cerberus' operations. The other two, however, currently busied themselves with cleaning up after the battle of Cyrene, gathering evidence, interrogating witnesses, securing material samples, and the like. The other two teams though, their activity was cause for concern. Jack knew the AIO was well aware of Cerberus' efforts to reprogram or actively counter the Geth's efforts, it was quite possible that the Director believed Cerberus might be responsible for this…

…he needed to contact Dr. Archer immediately and liquidate his project. He could not afford to alienate such a potentially valuable ally at such a critical and uncertain juncture. If the Reapers were moving again, humanity's survival was at stake, and right now…

…only Cerberus and the AIO could stop them…

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For the citizens of Citadel space, the Citadel, and by proxy the Citadel Council, stood as the epitome of power and prestige throughout the known galaxy. The station represented an intellectual and engineering marvel, comparable for many human visitors to the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Millions of citizens from a thousand worlds called its Wards home. Its Presidium remained the center of galactic affairs, its halls packed with lobbyists and supplicants attracted to the edges of power and prestige as they had been since its construction by its Reaper creators so many millennia ago.

No one embodied this aura of authority and supremacy more than those that stood at its source…the Citadel Council.

Councilor Tevos was the first, and eldest, member by far. A child of the Asari race, Tevos was a matron bordering on a young matriach, aged with many centuries of public service under her belt. She stood as the longest serving member of the Council by several centuries. Born into a fairly wealthy and well-connected Thessian family, she had begun her career as a minor diplomatic attaché within the Asari embassy early in her life. Her rise to a Councilor position left behind a past riddled with achievements, connections, and a horde of buried secrets. Nevertheless, her voice served as a beacon for peace and diplomacy throughout the galaxy, when she spoke the masses listened.

The second member of the auspicious body, Councilor Sparatus, served as the armored fist and second eldest member of the Council. Trumpeted as one of the Hierarchy's greatest success stories, Sparatus grew up in a family of low standing on the colony of Bostra. His drive to succeed and devotion to duty, both in bootcamp and afterwards, quickly allowed him to surpass his peers. The result quickly led him to command the Turian 39th Legion, a marine unit attached to the Hierarchy's Seventh Fleet. Under his command, the formation's mission completion rate rose to near perfect levels, with casualties far below what Hierarchy commanders had come to expect. His success led him to a posting as the primary Operations Staff Officer serving within Turian High Command. His experiences during his time there exposed him to many of the realities of the larger galaxy and, eventually, gave rise to the connections that would see him promoted to represent the Turian people on the Citadel Council.

If Sparatus was the armored fist of the Council, Councilor Valern was the hidden knife. Spawned into a family heavily invested into the Salarian Special Tasks Group, Valern's entry into the shadowed eyes of the Council was never unexpected. The unexpected rise in his position, however, resulted from his participation in a number critical operations geared towards the evaluation of the krogan genophage's effectiveness and the destruction of a number of SIU-set up slaving and trafficking rings along the Council-Terminus border. His flawless planning and skillful use of espionage to forestall direct confrontation made him something of an example amongst aspiring STG agents. His success also led him to command several STG cells of one sort or another, giving him a diverse series of skills and experiences that quickly have made him an important member within the Council's ranks.

The last, and newest, member of the Council represented the changes in galactic society over the last several decades. As the first human councilor, David Anderson had found himself growing to fit some very large shoes. A former N-7 marine and Alliance naval captain, Anderson quickly found himself a junior partner amongst a trio of giants. While he, and humanity by proxy, had achieved and sacrificed much during their short time as a Citadel race, his short amount of time spent on the galactic stage led to many disregarding or marginalizing his importance, a reality that left him frustrated at his change in circumstances. It could not be said that there was not progress being made, however, as Anderson brought his background within the Alliance military to bear. His attempts, through Sparatus, at ensuring greater cooperation between Alliance and Hierarchy forces already could be seen through the greater human presence throughout the Citadel's peacekeeping forces, a reality that had gone a long way to mend the wounds left over by the First Contact War. Although still fairly inexperienced on the political stage, Councilor Anderson continued to exemplify humanity's ability to adapt in order to face any situation.

This was the Council that stood today. A combination of words, swords, secrets, and change that held dominion over half the known galaxy…a combination that was about to be sorely tested…

The day began like any other in the Council Chambers, with petitioners and concerned citizens coming from across the galaxy to speak their piece. The process was routine, unchanged for millennia, and its progress could be easily followed by watching the time pass on a clock. This day, however, saw the proceedings interrupted suddenly nearly halfway through by the simultaneous pings of two omni-tools as both Anderson and Valern glanced down to see what their messages contained. Valern's face remained virtually expressionless throughout while Anderson's, however, quickly grew grave. A silent message quickly passed between the councilors. A recess was called. The Council quickly retreated to their private chambers. Two locked, armored doors and six Spectre guards later, the four found themselves in the Council's inner chambers, a place that served not only as a place for conversations of a more…delecate…nature but also as a panic room in case of an assault on the tower itself. It was within first use that the room found its value today. It took only moments for the four occupants to find their respective seats, and only one more for Tevos to speak.

"So…", Tevos said, expression scrunched in mild irritation, "…what is so important that we needed to cancel a public session?" The Asari Councilor could count on her hands the number of times such an event had happened within the last century, and every time it had caused a public and media uproar that took days to die down. It was an irritant that the matron truly wished to avoid if at all possible.

Anderson and Valern shared a look, one knowing while the other merely suspected opposite's knowledge. After all, the eyes of the STG laid everywhere. The human spoke first, eyes and voice hard with the seriousness of the situation.

"I have just been notified of a situation brewing that will concern us all. At 1734 hours ZULU time one of our listening posts posted inside the Terminus systems observed a confirmed contact of a Soveriegn-class dreadnaught cutting through the Omega Nebula…", the Sparatus and Tevos' expressions briefly dipped into shock at the news, "…Shortly after, the ship arrived over the colony of Cyrene and proceeded to engage forces, deemed Collector in origin, that had previously been attacking the colony. Three Collector cruisers are confirmed destroyed along with a sizable amount of their ground troops.", Valern's fingers tapped rhythmically on the table as he waited impatiently for the 'slower' human to finish, "The ship reportedly deployed modified forms of several standard Geth platforms apparently was attempting to defend the colonists from the Collector assault. Our intelligence now believes that the Collectors are directly responsible for the disappearance of a number of our Terminus colonies and the deaths of a number of Alliance personnel and civilians. Our intel also indicates a possibility of a resurgence in Geth attacks into Alliance space. As such, I wish to invoke our mutual defense treaty with the Council. Alliance High Command is already mobilizing a number of our reserves and has declared Threat Condition Saber Two but if we are to not only defend against this enemy but also take the fight to them, we need the resources that the Council's military can provide."

Silence reigned for a few moments…a few moments more…until an expression of disbelief settled onto Tevos' face.

"I'm sure the situation can not be that serious. The Collectors have never remotely hostile before, mysterious perhaps, but not…"

"Evidence is conclusive.", Valern interrupted, his tone biting, "Collectors responsible for human disappearances. Corroboration between sources definitive. Presence of Soveriegn dreadnaught confirmed. Collector attack thwarted by Geth forces. Motivation unknown. No debate to be had." Sparatus rubbed his hands as they rested on the table as he digested the information.

"You are sure?", he asked. Both Anderson and Valern responded with an icy glare, one out of anger of his seeming dismissal of the loss of life while the other out of insult to his professional ability. Sparatus' eyes narrowed in concern at the response. "This is most troubling," he added, "if the Geth are moving beyond the Veil again…"

"Outposts along the Veil report nothing.", Valern replied, "Dreadnaught arrived by other means."

"What other means?", the Turian asked. Valern gave a knowing look towards the human councilor, who made a note to speak to the Director about a high level mole within Alliance HIGHCOM before he answered the query.

"Our reports have it emerging from the Omega Four Relay twenty-three days ago."

"Omega Four? And you didn't think to notify us?", Tevos' reply was sharp, her patience for the cloak and dagger that the human and Salarian intelligence agencies practiced on a daily basis growing thin while the conversation grew more out of her comfort zone.

"And tell you what? The dreadnaught disappeared right after the sighting. No FTL trajectory in evidence, no signal discharges, or anything else traceable, the ship moved like a ghost. Telling this body anything would've resulted in nothing more than accusations and complaints and you know it.", Anderson's irritation at the Council's historical attempts at marginalizing humanity's efforts was most evident in his retort.

"I understand your position, Anderson," Anderson's eyes widened at Sparatus' show of support, such an action was most unusual even with the increased cooperation between their species, "and while it would have been nice to have known, I must agree with your assessment of our response. This does not, however, change the fact that we must respond. What's the Alliance's plan of action?" Anderson's face relaxed as he finally addressed a comfortable topic of conversation.

"We all know the stories behind the Omega Four Relay, no ship that enters ever returns. As such, HIGHCOM has ruled out any retaliatory strike before we can work out a safer way through. The Geth are a different story. The Admiralty is still debating over the wisdom of a preemptive strike versus a wait-and-see strategy. Regardless, the Soveriegn is a problem that must be dealt with quickly, especially if Shepard's reports…"

"As alarming as current events are, I will not revisit your 'Reaper' theory, Anderson," Sparatus interjected, voice tinged with patronizing exasperation, "that claim has been investigated and dismissed to our satisfaction. If you have a plan, give it, if not, do not waste my time with your conspiracy theories." Anderson's fists clenched momentarily in anger at the dismissal before he continued.

"If you want to ignore the reality, fine, but you will not tarnish Shepard's memory in front of me. I will not allow it." He declared.

"Your loyalty to a dead man in admirable, but it has blinded you to the truth…", Sparatus' argument was forceful as he rose and glared at his human opposite.

"That's bullshit and you know it!", Anderson rose now too, fist slamming into the tabletop in his rage.

"Gentlemen! That's enough!", Tevos' sharp yell brought both of her colleagues back to reality as her cold, disapproving glare promising repercussions if they didn't accede to her order. The human and Turian sat down instantly, their dirty looks remaining but without another word being spoken.

"Course of action is clear. Quick response necessary. Geth or not. Reaper or not makes no difference. A Sovereign still capable of causing untold damage. Focused and coordinated effort needed.", Valern added, breaking the tense silence. Anderson and Sparatus shared a rare glance of resignation and acceptance at his words.

"Agreed.", they said. Tevos sighed in exasperation. They have had this argument before.

"You know we cannot accomplish what you are asking. The Terminus would never allow a Council fleet within their borders without triggering a war. A war we can scarcely afford, especially if the Geth are moving again.", mild disapproval crept into Tevos' tone as she reminded her fellow Councilors of the political reality…

Unfortunately for her, this time her fellow Councilors weren't listening…

"I am sure we are all aware of this, Tevos.", Sparatus snapped back in irritation, "but this is bigger than a squabble with some minor Terminus 'lord'. This is a confirmed threat to galactic security threat that cannot be stopped by a Spectre's action. We need the fleet to have a hope of taking a Sovereign down. You know this. We have no choice."

"We could send some feelers to Aria…", Anderson added, immediately all heads snapped to him, "after all, she keeps most of the Terminus under one leash or another. Plus I highly doubt she'll object to assistance against something this big. She may like her power, but I doubt she's suicidal and leaving something like this unattended in your backyard is exactly that."

"I don't think…", Tevos attempted to interject.

"Can be done. Have a number of assets in the area. We are agreed?...", Valern replied, speaking over his colleague. Tevos frowned in irritation, which grew larger as the other Councilors murmured an agreement.

"…I do not agree with this course of action…but in the interest of solidarity, I agree…", the Asari finally acquiesced.

"Then we are agreed.", Sparatus nodded before turning to Anderson, "have you sent a plan of operations to Joint Command?"

"Not yet," Anderson replied, "We were waiting to see what everyone would commit before sending one over." The Turian nodded slightly at the wisdom of the move. After all, Sparatus had to admit, he may not like the humans as a whole but he had to admit…they still did their jobs well…

0000000000000000

 _PROMETHEUS MEETING SERVER #0611, (1027 ZULU, 1/14/2185)_

" _So…our secret's out. The Council knows. The Alliance knows. Hell, half the galaxy knows. So what are we going to do now? We can't personally intervene anymore. We take a step out of system and we'll have half the galaxy on our assess."_

" _It's not as bad as it may seem. We knew this would happen eventually. We planned and prepared for it. All this does is move up our timetable a bit."_

" _So…Infiltrator is ready, Major?"_

" _Not my department."_

" _My apologies. I got ahead of myself. Commander Egnalius?"_

" _We have a half dozen retrofitted pirate vessels and their crews ready. They don't have quite the barriers or firepower I would preferred due to the timetable, but the…Q ships I believe you called them?...are ready for long term deployment."_

" _The crews are aware of the risks?"_

" _They know, sir. I saw to it personally."_

" _Very well, consider the order given."_

" _As you command."_

 _USER: EGNALIUS HAS LEFT THE SERVER. . . . . . . . . . ._

" _Status on Watchtower, Major?"_

" _The probes are in place. If Omega Four twitches, we'll know about it….if I may ask, sir, what's the status of the Geth negotiations?"_

" _We'll see how they go. They're slated to begin in a few days…the general feeling is optimistic, but I won't hold my breath."_

" _Good, we need their resources. Our position here is tenuous at best and if the Council finds us…"_

" _You don't need to tell me twice, Major, Command is well aware of the situation. Just focus on getting us the information we need. We'll take care of the big stuff."_

" _Yes sir."_

 _USER: PHANTOM HAS LEFT THE SERVER. . . . . . . . . . ._

"… _And God help us if we fuck it up…"_

 _USER: COMMAND 233A HAS LEFT THE SERVER. . . . . . . . . ._

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He couldn't see…he couldn't feel…his ears pulsed in silent agony…

Slowly, reality seemed to return as white light blinded his eyes…as his arms pulsed in muted pain from the IVs' he could barely see in his arms…as he began to hear a number of distorted voices that cut across the edge of his consciousness…

Wait…they…he…he began to understand…

"Miss Lawson...ing to come around."

"Readings?"

"Slightly off…ieve he'll nee…another dose."

"…agree"

A rush of chemical adrenaline rushed through his system as he fought a gasp of surprise.

The world started to clear…

"…ander?...Commander? Are you with us?", he could focus now, seeing the black haired, brown eyed doctor in Alliance colors speaking to him before he spotted another woman turning towards him front a bank of monitors a few steps away. What caught his attention wasn't her beauty, however, it was her uniform…

… _Cerberus…_

He tried to push himself up as his body fought him in its weakness. The Alliance doctor was quick to respond, her fresh strength easily pressing him back into the cot beneath.

"Easy, Commander," she implored, "you're safe. I'm Doctor Armani, currently on special assignment for the AIO. We've got an N7 team right outside the door.", she was right, he noted, he could just make out two people in N7 armor standing outside through the doorway, "You're not alone here, Commander. Now rest, you've been out for a while and I won't have you undoing all our work by attempting to do something stupid." The scolding tone cut into his hearing like a knife, his body moving to acknowledge the order before his mind had even registered it. Even so, he had to know…

"…Cerberus?...", he croaked. Armani grew a sad smile.

"It's a long story, Commander, and not one I'm at liberty to share yet. When you're ready, we'll fill you in, but not one moment before. Clear?", a small nod met her in acknowledgement. "Good. Now, let's get you checked out…follow the light please…", and as a bright light began to shine into his eyes a part of him groan…he hated hospitals…

While another…another wondered…

 _What the hell is going on?_

 **00000000000000000**

 **A/N: There actually ended up being a tie between the battleship and carrier classes for Prometheus so I cast my own vote to break the tie and make the Carrier-class the winner for the poll. Thanks for all the support guys! See you next time!**

 **R &R!**


	9. Developments

**Disclaimer: If you've seen it somewhere else, I don't own it.**

 **Well, hello again everyone, I'm not dead, which is a definite upside. Anyway, I don't have too much to report on this end since graduation and job searching have kept me busy. Finally finished this chapter at least though. Hope you all enjoy this new installment and I'll update this with the next chapter whenever I can. Thanks for the support everyone!**

 **redcollector: Shit's going to get more real I assure you**

 **Mr. Cloak: Glad you like it. Sure, use the name, I had fun picking it out myself.**

 **FinalGuardian: That's the idea**

 **Draconis: Happy belated holidays to you too!**

 **ckazx: Glad you think so. It's gratifying to hear that considering all the research that goes into making this fic work and work well. Hope that tendency continues.**

 **jabbarulez: Kind of, but not in the way I think you're asking. I may add a few extra worlds and systems like I did with Cyrene in Chapter 7. Basically, I'll do it only in the cases where those added systems have a purpose.**

 **Jack100: I'm not sure if I replied to you yet, so here it is just in case. Trust me, the upgrades aren't going to be as severe a change as you think, I have to consider balancing after all. The exact upgrades are still up for a bit of mental debate for me. And no, I haven't addressed the indoctrination field…I wonder why I did that?…after all, I didn't just forget about it…Use your imagination. I'm sure you might have an idea why Prometheus hasn't raised a fuss about it yet. Enjoy the theorizing!**

 **000000000000000**

 _INTERFACE ATTEMPT DETECTED . . . . . . . . . COMMENCING ID CHALLENGE . . ._

 _IDENTIFICATION CODE CONFIRMED: #C617588 . . . . . . . CONNECTING . . . ._

" _Transmission secure. Commence your report, Ambassador."_

" _My report is mostly good news. You can inform Command that the Geth have acceded to most of our requests."_

" _Which ones?"_

" _We got a basic information exchange pretty much right off the bat. You should have it right about now…"_

 _TRANSMISSION RECEIVED . . . OPEN? . . . . . . OPENING . . . . . . ._

" _So there's nothing about Reaper creation in here?"_

" _No, there's not. Trust me, I spent, like, a full day looking over this stuff. You know, for all people might say about AI communicating and deciding quickly the Geth seem to require 'Consensus' for nearly everything. Granted I was never sitting around for real hours and days but this digital reality of ours made it feel like it took forever!"_

" _I didn't ask for your complaints, Ambassador, just your report."_

"… _Yeah…I gotcha. Anyway, good news is they've allowed us basing and mining access effective immediately…"_

" _The defensive alliance?"_

" _No, sir, not yet. The Geth have expressed concerns over our authenticity. Sovereign certainly left a negative impression by essentially causing a cold civil war over there. I can't blame them for it…"_

" _Did you show them our files?"_

" _One of the first things I did, sir, they are well aware of the situation they face. Sovereign didn't exactly hide itself and its 'friends' existence and capabilities from them. The Geth simply want to be left alone while we're all but bringing war to their doorstep. Frankly, I believe we were lucky to get out as well as we did. Hell, they even proposed giving us access to a couple of their shipyards in return for some of our weapon and shield schematics…"_

" _Did you agree?"_

" _Hell yeah! They weren't asking for anything we weren't going to give them later anyway…"_

" _You didn't have authorization…"_

" _Command may not have given it, but the Administrator did. I'm not military, buddy, and thus I don't answer to you, so you can take your shiny blue ass and shove it."_

" _You know why you all cannot do that! We can't afford to give everything away too soon!..."_

" _Fuck you too, blue boy! This isn't the Alliance anymore. Hell, this isn't even humanity anymore. The sooner you military types realize the fact that ninety percent of this population have no military background whatsoever, the sooner you'll figure out that you lead because we allow it. You boys have earned a lot of goodwill. You enabled us to escape. You gave us a plan. You gave us a chance for survival…but if you all step over the line from war to government you'll find out how quickly public opinion can kill. I can promise you that."_

" _And if you civvies ignore chain of command and go off half-cocked without thinking you're going to get us all killed! We can't afford to make mistakes! We don't have the time or resources to fix them! If we can't trust you all to follow simple instructions, then we might as well detonate our power core and save the Reaper's the trouble!"_

" _If you think the Administrator!..."_

 _USER #1761356 LOGGED IN . . . . . . . ._

" _THAT'S ENOUGH!"_

" _Major, sir!"_

" _Major…"_

" _Lieutenant Commander?"_

" _Sir?..."_

" _Next time you decide to berate a fellow official, make sure he warrants your rebuke or I will personally make your life hell. Understood?"_

" _But sir?!"_

" _The Administrator's authorization was cosigned by ME. Are you questioning my authority?"_

"… _No, sir…"_

" _Good…dismissed…"_

 _USER #3459007 LOGGED OUT . . . . . ._

" _Sir, no offense…but I read those orders. Your signature was nowhere on them...?"_

" _As far as Command and the rest of the Joint Chiefs are concerned, it was. Anyone else give you trouble, you come to me and I'll deal with it. Understand?"_

" _Alright, Major, I can live with that."_

 _USER #2178421 LOGGED OUT_

 _* sigh *_

" _I don't get paid enough for this…"_

 _USER #1761356 LOGGED OUT . . . . . . ._

 _SERVER SHUTTING DOWN . . . . . . . . . ._

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Commander John Shepard had always considered himself an adaptable sort. After all, to survive in the business of special operations and covert action, one had to be. Ever since his detachment from the N7 Destroyer program in order to become humanity's first Spectre candidate all he ever seemed to do was adapt to whatever situation seemed to appear out of thin air.

He had to admit though, this new reality took the cake for the most astounding change yet.

After all, it wasn't every day that one was brought back from the dead…and it certainly wasn't every day that one wakes up to find himself surrounded by both friends and enemies without anyone getting shot over it. If it hadn't been for an Alliance medical team and a group of N7 operators being present as he woke up, he probably would've ended up shooting someone the first second he could.

Cerberus…hell, he still couldn't believe it.

He could believe the AIO pulling this type of shit to get him back. He was one of their best operators before his reassignment and with how high profile of a figure he was…who was he kidding, it was still a stretch.

But _Cerberus_?...

The organization that he had done his best to wipe out during his Spectre career? The people who had probably lost more men to him and his ship than any other single force other than the Geth?!

The idea sent his head spinning.

Luckily, life kept him busy. Almost from the second he woke up he had relentlessly trained with the N7 team to get his rebuilt body back up to scratch. He did have to admit, Cerberus did good cybernetics work. He really hadn't had to do much physical training before he judged himself back to an acceptable level. The real issue came from deterioration of his skills. Memory quickly became the real issue.

He could remember the biggest parts of his life, his Spectre career for example, but some of his finer skills, hand-to-hand combat for example, had degraded somewhat due to his brain's stint in vacuum and as a re-entry vehicle. The damage wasn't complete or permanent at least and a few rounds in the ring with some of the station's more combative residents had easily rekindled his memory. Still, the feeling of emptiness when he attempted to use certain parts of his memories disturbed him.

It hadn't stopped the Director and the Illusive Man from clearing him for duty though, which Shepard was most happy with. Hospitals never ran to his tastes anyway and the lack of activity was driving him crazy and so here he was, walking down a bleached white corridor with a pair of N7 and Cerberus Phoenix Commandoes flanking him, in order to finally get a briefing on what had led to the two organizations spending billions of credits just to get his sorry carcass back up and moving. After all, he hated being in the dark…and if the Reapers were moving again…well, he'd be the first on the line to send them back to hell.

One final door whirred aside as his escort moved to flank the doorway before letting him inside. The room was pretty nondescript as Shepard could tell with only a single holographic projector present to break up the monotony of its dark grey walls. He waited for a moment…then two…the projector sprung to life, transporting him to a room dominated by the glare of a background red giant star. Two men sat in chairs before him, one on either side, their faces obscured by shadow. One sat with a cigarette in his hand and a glass of some fine liquor on his chair while the other appeared to be lightly perusing through some reports that only he could see.

The second spoke first, "Welcome back, Commander." The synthetically disguised voice boomed as the Director closed his reports and turned his attention to the meeting.

"Director.", Shepard replied, voice tinged with deference towards his former boss. "Interesting company you're keeping these days.", his gaze turned to first man as the Director responded.

"No more surprised than I am I assure you, however, desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Desperate times?", the Director's head turned towards the Illusive Man.

"We're at war.", the man stated as his cigarette flared, "No one wants to admit it but humanity is under attack. While you've been sleeping whole colonies have gone dark…human colonies. We think it's someone working for the Reapers, similar to the Geth and Sovereign. You've faced one of them, destroyed one of them, you have experience that others lack…that, among other reasons, is why we need you back."

"The Reapers are active again?", Shepard snapped, eyes hardening at the news.

"We are not quite certain.", the Director stated, as he sighed in irritation, "Our analysis remained fairly concrete until a few weeks ago, when a force positively identified as Collector in origin attacked and attempted to abduct the population of the human Terminus colony of Cyrene. The astounding part was not who the attackers were…but what stopped them." A rectangular hologram sprang to life, showing a picture of a Reaper…although interestingly, a design of some sort coated the spine of its frame, color clearly a different shade compared to the armor around it.

"A Reaper stopped it?", Shepard asked, voice tinted with surprise at the news. "I thought they wanted to wipe us out not save our lives."

"That's what we thought as well.", the Illusive Man answered, "To complicate matters further both the Director and myself have sources reporting from the Collector homeworld. The sources appear, for all intents and purposes, to be genuine and have provided a number of helpful pieces of information, including the Collector's systematic killing of any captives they manage to capture along with a sizable cache of evidence for Reaper control over the species."

"So…where do we stand?", Shepard's arms crossed, brow furrowed, as he wondered at the purpose of this alliance. The two men glanced at each other.

"Humanity cannot afford to stand against this enemy divided…", the Illusive Man began.

"…plus the Council's continued denial of the Reaper's existence blocks any attempts to find assistance from that angle…", the Director interjected.

"Thus, we have reached an agreement. For the duration of this crisis, Cerberus and the AIO's goals are aligned. Nothing less than humanity's survival is at stake, as such, whatever power our organizations can bring to bear is dedicated to this fight…whatever the cost.", the Director nodded in agreement to the statement as his counterpart finished. Shepard turned to the Director.

"Sir, I'll do what needs to be done, but _Cerberus_?! Sir, these guys have done shit that even the STG scoffs at. Hell! They even murdered an Alliance admiral just to prove a point! Why would you remotely think they can be trusted to not sabotage this mission once they get whatever they want out of it?", Shepard demanded, voice hardening with barely restrained anger.

"Humanity's survival…", the Illusive Man began before a raised hand from the Director brought his silence.

"Commander…I am not asking you to like this assignment. I am not asking you to like this alliance or the people you will be working with, however, like it or not you are a symbol to humanity. Your heroics and steadfast determination have inspired thousands to follow your example. We need someone to lead the charge. We need your experience. We need a symbol. We need you…Commander.", Shepard calmed at the words, his reddened face clearing as his anger subsided.

"Sir, what are my orders?"

"Your orders are to investigate the extent of the Collector threat as well as the presence of this Reaper contact and, if possible, to eliminate them. To accomplish this you will be reinstated within the N7 program and will be reactivated with your previous status before your departure from the Office. In addition, the full resources of Cerberus and this organization are at your disposal. Ships, troops, information…if we have it, you can use it."

"Sounds good," Shepard acknowledged, "but if I'm going to do this, then I'm going to need a team…"

"That would be my purview," the Illusive Man interjected, "I've compiled a list of soldiers, scientists, and mercenaries, all of which have met with the Director's approval. These individuals are the best of the best, Commander. Your task will be to gather as many of them as you can and get them ready for mission you face…", the Man took a swig of his liquor before speaking further, "…I won't lie to you, Commander, this is a suicide mission, but it must be done…whatever the cost." Shepard paused in contemplation as he considered the Man's words.

"Alright…I'll do it, but if I'm getting this done I'll need a good ship.", Shepard could almost feel a feral grin from each of the the two men in reply.

"We've got just the thing.", the Director answered.

Another hologram sprang to life, displaying the schematics for a ship that struck Shepard as so _familiar_ and yet so different at the same time. What really caught his attention, though, was the name clearly displayed on the side…

 _ **SR-2 NORMANDY…**_

00000000000000000

While the shadows of humanity began to mobilize their forces, half the galaxy away Prometheus' construction efforts finally began to bear fruit. After several months of frantic around the clock construction the first elements of Prometheus' warfleet began to materialize. The ships bore much the same profiles as the Alliance fleet that served as their inspiration, a single prow dominating the duo of wings and engines that rested along their sides. A number of differences instantly became evident, however, upon examination. The first difference was the color of the ships, which shone a subdued dark grey instead of the light metallic color of standard Alliance vessels. The difference resulted from the incorporation of Reaper armor materials into the plating of the ships, which in addition to increasing the strength by a factor of five also darkened the color. The second obvious difference lie in the engines of the ships themselves, which, instead of lying largely exposed on their own, were entirely surrounded by extra armor plating from all angles, changing the previously vulnerable wing structures into a well armored platform mounting not only the engines but also a number of weapon and defensive systems as well.

Those systems also saw a substantial upgrade from the norm as the additional space, created from the removal of nonessential systems like life support and crew quarters, allowed the addition of several more weapons, heavier armor, and better shield tech.

The eyes of the new fleet were the Nile-class frigates. Fast, agile, and with heavy torpedo armament accompanied by a light mass accelerator, the frigates operated as the new fleet's scouts and light screens, a role also complimented by its Reaper-origin sensor systems and extra banks of Catalyst CIWS lasers.

Next came the Vanguard-class destroyers, so named for the single Vanguard-series cannon that they carried. Designed to serve as the fleet's main screening ships, the Vanguards carried a wide range of equipment to make them as versatile as possible. This design choice, however, made them almost as fragile as their frigate counterparts, since their relative lack of speed and armor by comparison to their size made them vulnerable to counterfire. The ships were easily mass-producible, however, since their design allowed them to be assembled from a half-dozen prefabricated sections, speeding up assembly time considerably. This combination of factors, in addition to the lack of real concern for crew losses due to the Prometheans digital nature, made the Vanguard-class the most numerous of Prometheus' new designs.

The mainstay of the Promethean fleet came from the Aggressor-class cruisers. With a frame slightly larger than a standard Council cruiser, the Aggressor carried a duo of Vanguard cannons complimented by an oversized reactor to feed the power hungry weapons. Two cruiser-grade mass accelerator cannons were mounted on the wings, their barrels protruding forwards from the superstructure like a medieval lance. Batteries of Catalyst CIWS and a heavy belt of armor rounded out their loadout, only adding to their impressive staying power. The combination made an Aggressor-class a prime capital ship combatant with enough firepower to destroy most any ship it could face in a one-on-one fight.

Although currently not finished, a single Avenger-class dreadnaught and Guardian-class carrier stood as the true hearts of the future Promethean fleet. The dreadnaught brought the heavy armor of a Sovereign-class Reaper and a single Oblivion-class main cannon to enable it to take on Reaper capital ships one-on-one and still survive. The Guardian carriers, on the other hand, brought hundreds of redesigned F-61 Trident and F-47 Sarissa fighter craft reconfigured for UAV operations. The lack of a pilot made the ships even more effective, increasing their speed and payload by fifty percent and allowing them to match Oculi drones in fighter combat.

This quickly led to even Prometheus itself swapping out its Oculi for the new fighter craft which, when accompanied by the new A-84 Hornet dropships, completely overhauled the dreadnaught's small craft compliment. The A-84 Hornet served as the best of both worlds between transport capacity and ground supporting firepower. Mounting a heavy barrier generator to compensate for its relative lack of armor due to weight concerns, the Hornet carried a duo of heavy infantry grade mass accelerators for suppression duties. A duo of upsized particle cannons mounted under the wings provided the ship with exceptional anti-armor capabilities along with a quartet of missile pods to provide more versatility. It also mounted a series of magnetic clamps under the tail, which provided enough space and strength to allow the transport of a platoon of packed Promethean infantry or even a single heavy main battle tank such as a Mako or even a Colossus.

For heavy ground support, however, Prometheus remained largely deficient. A few Geth Colossi had quickly been thrown together along with a couple Armatures to serve as a lighter option. These platforms, however, remained so few in number that their use required an executive officer's authorization to deploy in singular units, while mass deployment of such forces in any real number were strictly impossible even if they weren't prohibited…

..but the main body of Prometheus' forces had begun to assemble in preparation for the was that they all knew was coming...whether for victory…or death…

00000000000000000

 _COUNCILOR IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMED . . . . . TRANSMISSION SECURED . . . DESTINATION? . . . . . . **** ****** . . . . . . ._

 _DESTINATION CONFIRMED . . . . . COMENCING CALL . . . . . CALL RECEIVED . . CONNECTING . . . . ._

" _My, my Tevos, it has been quite a long time since our last little chat. I've quite missed those…"_

" _And if I had my way we would never have another of them."_

"… _my, my, someone's quite snippy today. What's got your panties in a twist, Tevos? Another one of my boys giving your little kingdom trouble?"_

" _Not one of your lackeys, Aria, not this time. I want eyes on Omega Four, Aria, whether I get them with or without your approval is largely out of my hands."_

" _Ooooo…the kitty's got claws! So this is just a courtesy call then? Do I need to remind you of my one rule? After all, it appears as if you're threatening me…"_

" _It's out of my hands this time, Aria, Anderson and Sparatus have forced the issue with Valern's support. They're mobilizing for a full invasion of Terminus space. They're going after the Geth…"_

" _Geth you say? I fail to see why this would send them my way...unless, of course, they've had enough of the Collectors causing trouble. Am I right there, Tevos?"_

" _Aria, I only have the time and patience to ask this once. Will you allow us to post observation forces around Omega Four?"_

"…"

"…"

"… _Perhaps…if the price is right. What would I get out of this deal?"_

" _A duo of outdated Turian cruisers, still fully combat effective, a weapons shipment of a net worth of ten million credits, top of the line as usual, and a crate of that Armali wine I know you love, from my personal stores."_

" _My, my, you do drive a good bargain…add in two million extra in cash and we'll call it done."_

" _Agreed."_

" _Good. It's been a pleasure as always, dearie. Try not to burn yourself."_

 _CALL TERMINATED . . . . . . . RECORDING FOR ARCHIVE . . . RECORDING DELETED . . . CALL HISTORY DELETED . . . AUTHORIZATION NO#: C08091 . . ._

 _TASK COMPLETED . . . SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN . . . . ._

 _00000000000000000_

For Archangel, the seedy underbelly of Omega had always been an escape from the aftermath of the fight against Sovereign, a chance to do some good away from the legal restriction and political s'kak of the Citadel, and so it was. Now after over a year of a simple point and shoot mentality, he had the mercs and criminals of the station running scared as one organization after another had their income, their bases, and their leaders systematically wiped out by the station's new enforcer of law and order. Things had been working well, so much so that he had even found himself the head of a team of equal mind and determination to see Omega wiped clean.

Current events changed everything, though, the Turian once known as Garrus Vakarian knew that well. Shepard may be dead, but the Reapers remained very real and if anybody was trying to fight them…well, he'd be damned sure to give them a try. Shepard's memory deserved that much at least. Thus, as he walked down a deserted alley designated to serve as the meeting point with his contact, his teammates waiting in various overwatch positions just in case, he remained hopeful that something useful would come of this. A few minutes of waiting at the rendezvous point finally brought some results as he sighed in relief. Three humanoid figures approached from the other end of the alley, closer inspection identified the helmetless frontman as another Turian, whose obvious physical features marked her as female, and whose facial paint marked her as an a native of one of the Hierarchy's plethora of outer colonies. A set of dark-grey light armor and a heavy pistol rounded her out. Clearly, she was the talker here. The other two figures were curious. Both were male. Both carried heavily modified, outdated Lancer rifles. Both looked human, if a bit hard to tell due to the full, navy blue armor they wore that appeared to be well maintained if not a bit out of date. Their strides, however, marked one as human and the other as Batarian, a curious combination for anywhere, even in merc bands due to the races seemingly limitless disdain for the other.

"Good to see you came.", the female stated as she drew up a few feet away from him, "we were uncertain if you would be interested in our proposal."

"You perked my interest. So…please explain to me why I shouldn't believe this meeting is a colossal waste of my time.", his deeper voice growled through his helmet speakers as he watched for a reaction from his opposite. He received none.

"You know very well why you're here. You're here for the same reason I'm here. I will not be speaking at length. We do not have that kind of time and, as you well know, even the walls have ears on Omega. I have, however, been given leave to hand you this…", her hand slowly reached for one of her armor pouches, taking out a clearly identifiable data disk from its resting place before holding it out, face remaining nigh emotionless as she waited.

"And I'm just supposed to take this?", he asked as he stared at her open hand, "I don't know you. I don't even have a name for your organization. Why should I trust anything you say or give?" Her eyes turned to his, gaze boring into his helmet with a force that seemed to pin him in place with its determined, stony glare.

"Whether you take this or not is not my concern, nor is it essential to our operations. We will do what needs to be done regardless, however, your assistance in our efforts would be invaluable. You have the practical experience that we largely lack and published mission reports simply don't cut it in the field, as I'm sure we both know. Moreover, we need a figure that people can rally behind when the Invasion comes and with Shepard dead that leaves us with very few options to choose from that remain viable."

"So…say I agree. What does that mean for me and my team?", he asked as he began to walk back-and-forth, head bowing slightly in thought.

"At the moment, you would merely be a consultant brought in on a case-by-case basis. If we have a problem, we'll contact you for any assistance or expertise you could provide. In return we offer whatever assistance we can provide in regards to your efforts here, within reason, and also offer a safe haven, for the chance that this…crusade…of yours goes wrong." His fringe bristled at the somewhat derisive tone as his head jerked towards her.

"We saved people here! Good people! Cleaned up the streets! Given the innocents a measure of justice!..."

"And so you have," she bit back…but even as she said it, her tense stance deflated, her eyes darkened, her voice dwindling to a mere whisper, "... but this is Omega, home of the strong and the lawless. Hive of scum and villainy for centuries…and even through all that time…she still remains so. The innocent still suffer, still die, still disappear, here…and they always will.", her eyes finally seemed to come out of their darkness as a hidden resolve resurfaced to harden them once again, "Omega is beyond saving. There is nothing worth preserving here. But the galaxy needs people like you now, to save it from what we both know is coming." The data chip strained a little further forward as its holder offered it one last time.

A moment passed…then two…before a blue and gray gauntlet gently took it front her palm. "Alright," he said as his armored form towered above her own, "you've convinced me…", his helmet loomed forward, voice lowering in intimidation, "…but if you or your organization screw with me…I will find you and I will bury you…understand?" Her response, however, surprised him slightly as a small wry smile parted her mandibles.

"Good enough.", she answered, eyes glinting in mischief, "The chip contains the basic information you need to know along with the frequency to contact us on. We'll call when we need you." She stepped back, turning around to walk away as her guards parted to let her pass. Her head turned to offer one last remark, "A pleasure doing business with you."

He watched her go, guards covering her with all the hallmarks of a decently trained if relatively inexperienced force, before turning to where one of his squadmates had stood, cloaked, to watch the proceedings. "We're done here.", he said, "Let's go home."

They left, but even as they did the Turian formally known as Garrus Vakarian wondered what he had involved himself in…and what that would mean for his future…

000000000000000000

 _ATTICAN TRAVERSE, EAGLE NEBULA, AMUN SYSTEM_

 _LOG START, (12:35 ZULU, 1/28/2184) SOURCE: Q-SERIES VESSEL #012_

" _Attention unidentified vessel! You are in restricted Hierarchy military space within an active pirate enforcement zone! Heave to and prepare to be boarded!"_

"When the hell did the Hierarchy move into the Traverse?"

"Hell if I know, captain, must be a recent development. Intel didn't say a word about it."

"Regardless, we need to get out of here. Helm! get us out of here as quick as you can! Weps! Keep them off us as long as you can!"

"Clear!"

"Roger that!"

" _Unidentified vessel we read you powering up! You have five seconds to comply or we will use deadly force. I repeat, power down and prepare to be boarded!"_

…

"Captain! The Turians are firing! We just took a big hit to the main drive system! We're losing thrust!"

"Sir! Enemy ships are closing! I'm reading multiple shuttle launches from the cruisers!"

"Got you! … I've got one of the cruisers, captain! She won't be troubling us any more!"

"Get the CIWS on the shuttles, don't let them through! Get our security teams to their staging areas!"

"Enemy shuttles closing! We're getting a few, sir, but they're still coming!"

"We just took a hit to our FTL core! She can't power up to jump!"

"Prepare the ship for self destruction!"

"Sir! I can't trigger the automatic self destruct! The damage must have severed part of the system!

"The Hierarchy's boarded! I've got enemy troops in Engineering!"

"…Fuck…well, ladies and gents, it's been quite the ride…"

 _LOG END, (12:35 ZULU, 1/28/2184), BRIDGE DISCONNECTED (CONNECTION FAILURE? BRIDGE DESTRUCTION?) . . . . PLAY AGAIN?_

 **00000000000000000**

 **R &R!**


	10. Priority: Q Ship

**A/N: Hello all! No, I'm not dead, I've just had a busy few months. I recently graduated college before managing to get a job several states away from where I was living previously and then I just so happened to arrive during my new job's busy season...as such, Fanfiction has been on the backburner for a few months. Everything appears to be settling down now, however, so the next update should certainly be out sooner than this one was. Sorry for the shorter length guys, I just wanted to get this one out before somebody declares me KIA. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Touhoufanatic:** Glad you enjoy the story so far. Hope to see more of you.

 **Axcel:** Glad you're enjoying it. I find it ironic on your description. I was thinking the same thing when I wrote it.

 **Ethan Demas:** Hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long!

 **Terraca:** Well, look no longer!

 **mikawillems:** Cool indeed

 **BrotherCaptainShepard:** So…Imperial Guard/Space Marine fan?

 **Draed:** Well, I suppose you've gotten a bit of that oh shit moment with this one.

 **redcollector:** Yeah, shit's gonna go down

 **00000000000000000000000**

 _FIREBASE ECHO, TAITUS, TALAVA SYSTEM, CALESTON RIFT_

 _LOG START, (15:16 ZULU, 1/28/2184)_

" _Sir…we have a problem."_

" _What kind of problem, Lieutenant?"_

" _Major, we just picked this up over the Amun Comm Buoys…"_

"Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is ident Q-012. Authorization number A-067-4. All propulsion, command, and weapons systems report as offline. All crew report as offline or nonresponsive. Sensors report damage and enemy vessels in close proximity. Automated self destruct reports inoperable. Computer systems report extensive damage. WARNING, automated data purge incomplete. Requesting external assistance. This message repeats…mayday, mayday, mayday…"

"… _damn…how bad is it?"_

" _It's bad, Major, SigInt reports a spike of Turian naval transmissions present in the area. From what we can understand from their transmissions the crew appears to be a total loss…all KIA. They appear to be attempting to access the ship's computer banks as we speak, but it appears that their attempts to break through our encryption so far have been…unsuccessful…"_

" _But of course they'll get through eventually."_

" _That's a real possibility, sir. Command wants a search and destroy op done to tie this up ASAP. They told me to come talk to you."_

" _Of course they did. Tell them my team and I will get it done. Tell Egnalius to get his QRF ready and loaded on the Phantom immediately."_

" _Yes sir."_

" _Dismissed."_

…

…

" _Mars?..."_

" _Sir?"_

" _Get the Phantom ready for deployment, we've got a job lined up."_

" _Roger that. I'll call in the kiddies."_

" _You do that. Phantom out."_

 **000000000000000000000000000**

Shepard had to admit…he was impressed.

How could he not be? The ship he was standing in, that he commanded, was the most advanced piece of military space-borne tech in existence. It still made him smile a bit inside when he thought about it. The Normandy was back, bigger, badder, and more capable than ever. The only thing missing was his old crew, but that was another problem for another day. Right now, the amalgamation of Cerberus and AIO personnel on this ship would have to do, and he certainly wasn't complaining about the team of N7 and Cerberus Phoenix Commandoes stationed onboard as security, even if it was only to protect their respective side's investment.

To top it all off, the brief final shakedown cruise and systems checks were about to be finished, meaning that he could stop twiddling his thumbs and actually do something other than stare at system reports. He was particularly interested in the dossiers that the Illusive Man had forwarded his way. They held quite the collection, everyone from a professional mercenary to a renowned assassin to a hardened criminal. Well rounded too, the proposed group held everything from biotic specialists to tech experts. He was even surprised to see a familiar name on the list…Tali. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, she was invaluable during his hunt for Saren so it wasn't unbelievable that she would make the cut now. It bugged him, though, at how few familiar faces that he would be seeing over the course of this mission…Ashley, too public of a figure…Liara, caught up on her own individual crusade…Garrus, dropped off the face of the earth…it bugged him more than he cared to admit…

Not to say that he didn't appreciate the crew he currently had, Joker and Chakwas' presence did much to tone down his natural paranoia over this whole fiasco, and even he could admit that Jacob and Miranda were good at their jobs, and don't even get him started about the AI…he couldn't help but sigh…it just wasn't the same.

He needed a distraction and that need had led him to the ship's briefing room on Joker's request, where the ship's installed QEC sprang to life with two very familiar visages…

"Director. Illusive Man.", he stated in greeting, professionalism mirrored in his voice and stance.

"Shepard.", came the simultaneous acknowledgement.

"We have a mission for you…one with a limited window of opportunity.", the Illusive Man began as he took a drag from his seemingly ever-present cigarette. "Three hours ago a Turian patrol group in the Amun System apprehended what appeared at first glance to be a standard configuration merchant vessel, squawking an IFF that designated it as the _MSV Ever Faithful_ , that strayed into one of their new restricted travel zones in the Traverse.", a hologram sprang to life depicting exactly what Shepard expected to see from a standard bulk transport, "After attempts to get the ship to heave to failed, the Turians resorted to attempting to disable the craft…"

"And here comes the catch I assume?", Shepard asked, with a wry smile plastered on his lips. The Illusive Man continued his speech without missing a beat, however, as he sipped on what he could only assume to be some form of liquor…

"The attempt did not go as expected, just as you surmised. The vessel apparently had been refitted at some point with military grade weaponry that had been installed and hidden beneath the ship's superstructure: heavier barriers, disruptor torpedoes, even a cruiser grade main cannon. The result was the crippling of the cruiser, HSV Bostra, and damage done to the frigate, HSV Strike Talon." Shepard gave a low whistle at the report, inflicting such damage on a Turian naval flotilla like that, and with only one ship, even with surprise, was no small feat.

"I can see why this might be interesting to some people, but how is this connected to our mission.", Shepard asked. He watched as the Illusive Man's graze drew over to the Director, who quickly picked up the question…

"First off, the ship does not exist…anywhere. No paper trail, no traceable material, the crew all check out as missing through varying means…ghosts essentially. That element merely provided us a passing interest, until we heard this…", a screen sprang to life, displaying an image consistent with an audio file, "Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is ident Q-012. Authorization number A-067-4. All propulsion, command, and weapons systems report as offline. All crew report as offline or nonresponsive. Sensors report damage and enemy vessels in close proximity. Automated self destruct reports inoperable. Computer systems report extensive damage. WARNING, automated data purge incomplete. Requesting external assistance. This message repeats…mayday, mayday, mayday…" Shepard's eyebrows rose at the message.

"Automated self destruct? An automatic data purge?...you've got my attention." The Director's darkened features furrowed in wary concern as he continued.

"…As I'm sure you can guess, the contents of this signal indicate that this ship is a part of a larger unit…a unit we are as of yet unaware of. The most notable piece of information we have managed to receive, however, comes from a contact within the Turian navy who reports that although they have only managed to crack a couple of the data files from the ship's computer banks those they have contain a number of words flagged by our system. Most notable: Reaper, Collectors, Sovereign, and Geth…further attempts to recover more files have, for the moment, failed and I have managed to get Hierarchy Intelligence to allow the dispatch of one of the AIO's tech teams and they report that they should be able have a majority of the ship's computer banks decrypted and ready for transport by the time you would arrive at the outpost the Turians have relocated the ship to in the meantime." Shepard's face furrowed in confusion.

"Why would you think this is related to Reaper activity? After all, you could find those words getting flagged in any current Citadel codex collection." The two men before him didn't say a word, with his only response being when the Director hit a single button…

…and what sprang to life was the visage of 'Sovereign-class' dreadnaught…a Reaper. Dozens of lines of text and indicators darted across the design in varying locations, all unreadable to Shepard's eye as they seemed to only display an indecipherable… "It's a code" The Director's hands met before he leaned forward with his chin resting on them in silent approval.

"That's exactly what it is.", the Director replied, "What you are looking at, is what we believe to me the design schematics for a Sovereign-class Reaper. Everything from weapons loadouts to armor thickness to core output, we think is on this ship's computer banks. Your mission, Commander, is to proceed to the Eagle Nebula and ensure the complete retrieval of the AIO's copy of the ship's data and escort it back to Outpost 14-Theta for full analysis.", the Illusive Man now cut in.

"The importance of this data cannot be overstated, Commander, analysis of this information could finally provide the insight humanity needs in order to survive the Reapers…"

"Know your enemy, know yourself, and you will win a thousand battles." Shepard added, quoting the maxim from the _Art of War_.

"Precisely.", the Illusive Man took one last drag on his cigarette…Shepard turned to face the Director…

"I'll get it done, sir.", the Director replied with a nod.

"Good luck…and Godspeed, Commander.", It took only moments for Shepard to recognize the dismissal and depart, thoughts racing in his head over the mission he had just been given. He had some preparations to make…a ship to launch…and Reapers to kill…

0000000000000000000000000

 _ATTICAN TRAVERSE, EAGLE NEBULA, AMUN SYSTEM_

 _HIERARCHY INSPECTION FACILITY N-614_

 _01:00 ZULU 01/30/2184_

 _SR2-NORMANDY_

 _It was official, whoever designed this engineering marvel deserved a raise. Shepard loved his new ship. Hell, if the installed AI hadn't been there Joker would've probably married it on the spot, what with the almost tangible sense of drooling glee he buried under all that sarcasm. Movement from the Horsehead Nebula to the Amun system in just over a day while running dark_ _and_ _without a single stop for static discharge was very impressive indeed, considering that most combat vessels could only operate at this level of activity for a few hours at most before needing to stop for some reason or other._

 _That's not to say that there weren't some things that needed improving. The food for one because, bless Gardner, but with the standard issue military crap he was currently stocked up with mealtime turned out to be a slop more often than not…let alone what happened to your digestive system after months of exposure…alright, Shepard realized he was being slightly overdramatic, but if he was going to run his own 'non-military affiliated' ship again, he'd rather have something more than just the consistency of mud for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day._

 _His second gripe actually came from Joker. The scanning systems currently installed were not up to par with what he'd come to expect from organizations like Cerberus and the AIO. After all, why dump billions of credits into a top-of-the-line ship only to skimp out on the last little details? The answer was time, apparently…or at least that's what he managed to pull out of Miranda in between introducing herself and him getting poked with pro-Cerberus propaganda…regardless, he'd already put in a requisition with the resident AIO engineer for a replacement, who assured him the refit would take more than a few days with the carte blanche that the Director had provided his mission._

 _The armor and shielding weren't bad either…they just weren't good enough. It certainly wouldn't be able to take a hit from the Collector vessel that cored the previous Normandy with the only slight upgrades that the new ship provided over the original. Now getting_ _those_ _replaced was a whole other animal. There were simply no practicable upgrades available to the AIO and Cerberus, who had informed him that the only real upgrades that they were aware of galaxy wide was the Silaris heavy ablative armor plating recently touted by the Asari Republics as the cutting edge of armor design. The Asari were playing the upgrade pretty close to the chest though, so much so that Cerberus hadn't been able to retrieve and replicate a sample before his improved condition accelerated the SR-2 Normandy's construction timeline._

The new Javelin torpedoes stood as a sizable improvement over the original Normandy, however, Shepard wouldn't bet on them against that cruiser that took out his last vessel, let alone a full-size Reaper. He needed more firepower. The Director had informed him that the AIO was developing a weapon designed to replicate the effect of one of the Reaper's cannon on a smaller scale, but completion was still some time off and field testing out further still. He was assured, however, that his ship would be the first to receive an operational system as soon as it came online, assurances Shepard knew the Director took very seriously.

Those were problems for another day, however, now he had a mission to complete, which immediately focused his mind as the _Normandy_ finally arrived at the outer edge of the Amun system with Shepard standing at the helm, armor and weapons strapped on and ready to go.

"Joker, hail the outpost. Tell them to inform the AIO group on site that we've arrived for pickup.", the order fell from his lips with an ease that only years of command experience could give…

"Aye, aye Commander, calling the space turkeys now."…and was met by the time honored Joker response. Shepard could almost set his watch by it. "Outpost November Six One Four, this is the SSV Normandy requesting clearance to approach and dock, over." Shepard waited one moment…then another…this was taking too long…

"Try again."

"I say again, this is the S. S. V. Normandy requesting docking clearance. Outpost please respond." The static of a non-reply remained.

"It's not looking good sir.", Shepard's head merely tilted slightly to the side to acknowledge the statement as the ship's resident N7 Shadow, callsign Raptor, made her appearance, black body armor shimmering in the artificial light. She was merely one of the four commandoes Shepard had tapped for this mission, two N7 and two Phoenix…with insignia removed of course. After all, no one wanted this mission to become a clusterfuck just because of some…unfortunate…realities of war.

"I repeat, this is SSV Normandy requesting an approach vector and docking clearance for Outpost November Six-One-Four, Outpost please respond."…another few moments pass…

 _000000000000000000000_

" _Lancer, this is Menace Control, I've got an incoming contact, IFF designates it as the SSV Normandy. SigInt indicates that they're attempting to contact the station. Please advise, over."_

" _Menace Control, Lancer, Barrier Actual will have control of the command center momentarily. He'll stall them as best he can. If they continue their approach, let them walk into our net then execute at your discretion."_

" _But sir! Isn't that?..."_

" _If it is then it sure isn't_ his _anymore, you have your orders. Lancer out."_

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…another order formed on Shepard's lips…

" _SSV Normandy, this is Outpost Control, we read you…"_

…and promptly died at the sound coming through the bridge speakers.

" _Apologies for the late response, we've been having problems with subspace comms for some time now. You're here for that human tech team right?",_ came the distinctive thrum of a Turian voice playing through the ship's speakers.

"Affirmative Control," Joker replied, all business now, "we require docking clearance and an approach vector."

" _Roger that, Normandy, you are cleared for approach to Docking Clamp Two. Move to three-five-five by negative twelve degrees respective to your current vector for approach…"_

"Something's not right here." Shepard glanced behind him once more, to find the entirety of his away team had joined him in the cockpit, the voice coming from one of the Phoenix Commandoes, Ra if he remembered the names correctly.

"… _note, Normandy that Docking Clamp Two will be inoperable for a few minutes while our tech finish up a routine inspection after a recent ship examination. We will inform you when it's ready. Copy, Normandy?"_

"I'd call it fifty-fifty.", came a reply to Ra's statement, coming from the group's N7 Demolisher.

"We're not calling it yet, people, so keep your heads in the game.", Shepard added, instantly quieting the conversation before turning back to Joker, "Follow their assigned course, but be ready for anything."

"Aye, aye, weapons and barriers at one-hundred percent, moving to approach vector…Outpost Control, we copy, moving to heading three-five-five by negative twelve. Normandy, out."

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" _Lancer, this is Control, the Normandy is on approach. We have visual and the vessel does not match any known design, repeat, no known design. What's your status, over?"_

" _Control! Lancer! Remaining enemy forces are putting up heavy resistance near the aft storage bays! We're trying to find a workaround now! What's their ETA?"_

" _Five minutes, sir."_

" _Menace Control you have permission to disable or destroy the incoming craft as soon as it enters the minefield. Do not allow them to land! Lancer, out!"_

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The Normandy's approach was deceptively quiet as the ship moved in spite of the tension that gripped the cockpit's occupants, which only grew worse as the outpost came into visual range. There appeared nothing unusual that could be seen other than the apparently militarized 'merchant' vessel, which clearly sported signs of heavy battle damage across its hull, but other than that…no debris, no flashes, no sensor contacts…it was eerie…but Shepard's instincts were screaming at him…and he never ignored that feeling.

"All hands, battlestations.", he ordered, his dead calm voice laden with tense steel.

"Yes, Commander.", came the reply of the ship's resident AI… _EDI_ …which finally made itself useful as the ship's lighting flared red and a short alarm wailed in announcement. One swift motion saw his helmet sealed in place, his newly issued T5-V 'Destroyer' armor finally ready in its completed state.

"Anything on sensors?"

"Negative, I do not detect anything on any of the sensor suites.", EDI stated. The tension remained. Shepard's fingers began to itch for a weapon…

 _00000000000000000000_

" _The Normandy has entered the minefield."_

" _Good. Light 'em up, Ensign."_

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Alarms suddenly blared…

The Normandy lurched, Shepard and his team slamming into the walls as the viewport lit up with the fires of an explosion…

"Mines!", Joker yelled, wincing in pain as the chair impacted his ribs. The impact did little to slow his hands though as he rapidly punched in dozens of control orders and the ship dove _down_ …

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" _Bottom Stream Cannon firing…shot away"_

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"Barriers at thirty percent!...", Joker barely got off the report, and Shepard and team off the floor, before a lance of light arched right over the hull… _where the Normandy had been_ …"Oh shit!" The pilots hands flew faster now as ship sped up and went evasive.

"Hostile contact detected bearing one-five-zero by positive forty-two…", EDI reported…

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" _First shot, total miss, total recharge in two minutes, firing top Stream Cannon."_

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"Incoming!", Joker yelled as the other occupants braced themselves…

The Normandy jolted in a split second as her pilot used every scrap of engine power that she had in order to evade…

Another lance of light followed a split second later…

The Normandy shuddered at the impact as the beam glanced her hull. "Glancing hit to the aft cargo bay! Minor damage to after barrier emitters! Barriers down to zero percent!", came Joker's frantic report as Shepard barked out a question.

"Can you get us to the station?!"

"Not unless you want our asses blown off! I'm having a hard enough time evading these guys as it is!", the immediate response was testy, it's message quickly reinforced by EDI notifying them of an incoming mass accelerator round…

Shepard's mind raced with adrenaline as his options flashed in his head. Direct deployment was a non-starter, the second Joker stopped his frantic maneuvering the new Normandy would go to join the last that only left…

"Can you get the airlock doors in line with the station?!", Shepard asked as the Normandy quickly did a quick barrel roll to avoid another accelerator shell.

"Sure! But why the hell?!..."

"Just do it!", Shepard barked, his team reading his mind as they darted to the airlock doors. Shepard gave one last look at the pilot before doing the same, running one last check on his armor to make sure it was airtight…

The inner airlock door hissed closed behind him. "Good morning gentleman and slightly more scary ladies, this is your captain speaking. I would like inform you that you may experience some turbulence during your flight due to the unpredictable weather we're having, as such I would insist that you keep your armor airtight and away from large speedy objects…" Raptor looked at him, head tilted in question. Shepard just shrugged, Joker was Joker after all. "…and finally I would like you to get out, take names, and enjoy your flight on Air Normandy…"

The outer airlock door sprang open…air quickly rushed out as the team inside began to move…Shepard could see stars…a station…another beam of light slice through space next to the ship…

…before he was sucked out into the endless void.

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 **R &R!**


	11. Priority: Q Ship (2)

**Well ladies and gents, after six months we finally have chapter 11! I know it's been ages and, to be honest, even for me it's been way to long since the last. Regardless, I'm still here and still working on this, one chapter at a time. Hope you all enjoy the confrontation!**

 **Redcollector: I guess you'll be finding out by the end of this chapter, eh?**

 **BrotherCaptainShepard: Gotcha.**

 **Wars apprentice: Hope you love this one too**

 **Cj1of4: I suppose you'll be finding out a bit of that here.**

 **Jack100: Me too and I do believe shitstorm won't even begin to describe this situation by the time I'm done with it. In my opinion, I'd say the Vanguard 'tentacle' cannons are more of an artistic flare on Bioware's part for pretty much the same reasons you describe, but I suppose source material is source material.**

 **Ase of Spadez: Hope I continue to live up to your expectations.**

 **Gearblade: Hope you continue to**

 **And finally, on with the chapter!**

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Shepard never really liked space, not to say the he didn't appreciate the things that came with it…like his ship…crew…job… but space itself grated on his nerves. It was empty. It was extremely dangerous to the unprepared. It was completely unforgiving to the unprotected. Mostly, though, he hated the feeling of being a bystander to whatever fight had followed him around at the time, waiting for the order to move or for him to get sucked into the cold blackness of space. Tense boredom was his enemy on the ship, where his job wasn't to fight or fly or shoot but just to observe and give orders…

…that all changed once he got out. Outside the ship, he became a new man. Outside the ship, he could actually _physically_ do something other than watch some battle through a viewscreen. So, even as beams of light and flashes of torpedo fire arched through the periphery of his vision, he wore a comfortable, slight smirk while his body flew towards Hierarchy Outpost N-614 at high speed. His team of Alliance and Cerberus commandos followed right alongside him, their forms motionless as they stared at their desired landing site. The station's form was growing fast but Shepard spared one last glance behind him, searching for the two ships that he knew to be engaging each other close by. He spotted the Normandy almost instantly, white paint and flashes of blue Javelin torpedo fire marking her out easily to his advanced optics. The opposing ship, however, was much harder to see. He only managed to notice it due to its movement blocking the light of the stars behind it, which allowed the visual aids in his helmet to track it by its movement. Regardless, from his visual, there was little to see from it. The ship was near black, obvious enough considering the trouble of identification, and other than the red exhaust of the ship's two engines there was little distinctly observable even with his optical aids.

Curiosity satisfied, if a little disappointed, by his observations, Shepard turned his attention back to the matter at hand, namely the approaching figure of Outpost N-614 Docking Port No. 2. A quick assessment told Shepard to begin preparing for landing. Near instantaneously, the miniature mass effect core decreased his mass in order to prevent him from simply splattering himself on, or through, the docking port upon landing. Next, Shepard quickly rotated himself around, hands and feet first, and increased the armor power running to his outstretched limbs, stiffening and strengthening them in preparation to hold on upon impact.

The collision with the station's outstretched docking tube, however, was rather underwhelming with the lack of sound found in space, the strength of spaceborne materials, and the skill of the operators leading to an upright team and an undamaged landing site. They didn't waste time. Near instantaneously after landing, the team's resident Demolisher found himself at the door controls, integrated hacking suites quickly reaching through his Omni-Tool for the airlock door controls. The operation didn't take long, with Shepard simply spending the time watching his ship evade yet another red stream of light from the enemy vessel, before the outer door silently darted open, inviting them inside. Another few heartbeats found the full team inside, environment hissing as the outer door fell closed and the airlock began to cycle…

" _EDI, can you get a copy of the station's schematics?",_ Shepard asked as he readjusted his armor's settings to compensate for the new air and gravity.

" _Of course, Commander…done. Outpost November Six One Four follows standard Hierarchy construction schematics for a station of its type. The construct consists of four main rectangular levels topped by a control center within the top spire and a sensor station based out of the bottom. The first level contains the armory and living quarters, second holds the inspection level and docking tubes, while the third and fourth comprise of the holding areas, storage bays, and shuttle hanger. Station records indicate that the Alliance Intel team and their Hierarchy counterparts had based themselves on the fourth level. Note, I am encountering unusual levels of resistance from the station's servers."_

" _Any idea why?",_ Shepard asked, happy that his resident idea was at least useful for something.

" _Unknown."_ , and wasn't _that_ disconcerting?...

The red light above the door taunted Shepard as he waited for the operation to finish and the inner door to finally _get out_ of his way…

" _Rules of engagement, sir?",_ Shepard's reply came in a fraction of a second…

" _Weapons tight on any Turian forces we encounter, see anything else, shoot it first ask about it later.",_ the audible clicking of four microphones sounded out as the only acknowledgement to his order as his team drew their weapons, Shepard's N7 Typhoon joining them at the ready…the door light turned green as it opened with a hiss, displaying a dark hallway only lit by a sparse accompaniment of red emergency lighting…the team moved forward into the gloom…

" _Radio silence until told otherwise. We don't know what we're dealing with."_ Another four clicks gave an answer as the group continued to advance into the unknown…

It didn't take long to find evidence of something very wrong going on. At the end of the hallway, buried behind a hasty barricade of crates and a burnt out barrier generator, three Turian corpses lay at the middle of the T intersection leading deeper into the station, blood streaming into pools below them from half a dozen wounds on each. The kills were fresh, Shepard noted. The blood had yet to appreciably congeal and the blood flow hadn't yet stopped. Bullet holes and the smell of explosives evidenced a short but intense battle…at least the Turians hadn't gone quietly. The real item of interest for Shepard and his team, however, was the duo of Geth Troopers that lied only a few meters away with their bodies marked by dozens of holes and pockmarks on their armor, their Pulse Rifles laying only a few inches away from their dead hands. The navy blue plating stood out instantly on their frames, instantly bringing Shepard back to the report on the Cyrene Incursion he had read before shipping out. The light grey or white flying creature painted on them only confirmed his suspicions on their identity. A quick glance over his shoulder saw his team's shoulders tense and heads glance to him in the only expression of surprise they could accomplish under their current situation. A quick hand wave got the team moving again, following the map on their HUDs to the nearest stairway.

It didn't take long to find, the signs and mapping software making the trip incredibly easy and fast. The only surprise during the whole trip seemed to be the lack of any real heavy combat in the corridors leading to the lift section on the floor. The only items of interest remained a small cluster of bullet holes accompanied by another slightly older Turian corpse. The scenery all changed, however, the second that Shepard poked his head through a destroyed door that had clearly been physically sealed shut somehow before being blasted open with explosives. The sight that met his eyes morphed to one of a brutal close quarters fight. Corpses, both Turian and Geth, littered the floor, with white ichor and blue blood spilled in pools all over the room. A quick glance over the room told everything Shepard needed to know, his years of combat experience serving him well in his assessment.

A full Turian Lancer squad had clearly set up an improvised defense here with whatever crates and debris that they could get their hands on. The blasted open door on the other end had clearly been the Geth's means of entry, with the still cooling, deformed, edges of the entryway indicating a highly energetic charge of some kind. The blast also did more than just remove the door. It appeared to have sent the metal pieces flying in towards the Turian positions in a cloud of shrapnel, which looked to have done an excellent job in disrupting the Turian defensive line for a moment…and speared one poor soldier through the chest. Another two small blast marks indicated the use of flashbang and EM grenades, useful in disrupting the combat systems of most hardsuits while also neutralizing the organics behind those systems for a few precious seconds. The Geth had pushed in next. The first couple had evidently got in but it appeared that the famous Turian discipline had won out for the next four, whose quartet of corpses littered the floor in literal pieces from the weight of fire that had hit them upon entry. A stalemate had happened next…

…No…

…not a stalemate…it was a distraction.

The Geth hadn't approached from one direction but two. Another team had come up from the stairwell and hit the Turian's open left flank hard and fast. Three of the Lancers had gone down to an Omni-Blade before they could even react…another two had been killed before the squad had realized what happened and shifted their fire…

It had been too late. The damage had been done. The squad's support gunner had been the next target, taken out by a single headshot but not before cutting down another Trooper with his Revenant. After that, the remaining combat had merely been a mop up fight, with only two Geth Troopers dead for the price of the rest of the Turian squad. In short, the engagement had been a disaster for the Turians…but it also emphasized the point that the Cyrene report had made…the Geth were changing.

This was what he would do, if he could, in this kind of situation. Close range knife fights were the bread and butter of spaceborne infantry warfare…and it was always a bloodbath for the parties involved. Equipment only mattered so much in this kind of fight. What mattered was speed, brutality, and precision. You had to move fast through doors and down corridors before an enemy recovered and showered you with bullets. You had to be brutal because no one fights fair in a hand-to-hand fight like these. You had to be precise because a single misplaced round could hit a fuel line or electric wire or even ricochet back at you. The different militaries of the galaxy adapted differently to such environment. The Asari Huntress had her biotics to block and blast a path through her opposition, while her charge made her fast and hard to counter. The Turian Lancer had heavy armor and fast firing armament, allowing him to survive the initial onslaught before hitting back with overwhelming firepower. The Salarian Operative…well, he wouldn't be in the situation to begin with. He would've vented your atmosphere or cut your power or any number of such things before making the attempt. His attack would be made with an abundance of tech abilities supplemented by whatever assistance he can gain from his environment, overheating weapons, hacking turrets, shutting off ship gravity…whatever he can get his hands on. The Alliance, however, responded to the problem differently. Their arrival onto the galactic stage and their brief war with the Turians had clearly demonstrated that meeting strength with strength simply lead to heavy losses for little gain.

The standard Alliance Marine was not as mobile and powerful as a Huntress. He was not a hard hitting wall of armor and weaponry like a Lancer. And he was not as well equipped and trained as an Operative. So, the question became, what can be done again forces with such powerful advantages? The answer came in the same form as it did for the rest of the Alliance military. Versatility. The Alliance Marine couldn't outrun a Huntress, but he could outlast her. A Marine couldn't outshoot a Lancer, but he could move around him. He couldn't outthink an Operative, but he could drown him in much more firepower than an Operative had the capability of matching. Alliance ships and stations were littered with redundant corridors and maintenance access ways which allowed forces to engage and fade away at a time of their choosing. They could hit flanks, front, and rear all simultaneously. Simply, give them time and they'll bleed you dry.

The reality in front of him made Shepard's grip tighten on his weapon. The Geth assault was a textbook Alliance maneuver. He'd done it dozens of times during his stint as an Alliance N7 and it disturbed him greatly to see the Geth acting in this way. His experience with the Geth showed that they clearly preferred attrition tactics. They threw Trooper after Trooper at you till your weapon overheated and left you mostly defenseless. After all, what did losses matter if you could simply replace them in a matter of hours versus weeks, months, or years like an organic soldier?

Shepard shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing. He had a job to do. A quick upraised fist brought his team to a halt before he gestured one of the Phoenix Commandoes closer. A few hand gestures and a couple whispered words gave him an objective, the station's control center. The idea was simple. Shepard could not allow the Geth to hold such an important point without a fight. The advantages of access to the station's monitoring systems and environmental controls could not be understated.

The Commando understood instantly, quickly tapping his companion on the shoulder before they moved towards the stairwell leading to the first level and, ultimately, to their objective. The Shepard and the N7's, however, moved in the opposite direction, heading downward towards the fourth floor and the Alliance team that hopefully waited there. The walk down to the third level remained silent, even as the N7 team suspiciously checked every corner and straightaway long before they approached it. Finally, the end of the last step met them with a locked door. A simple glance and pointed finger moved the team's Demolisher forward while the Shadow covered the rear and Shepard watched the door. The hacking took some time…too much time for Shepard's comfort, but the door hissed open not a minute later. Shepard instantly pressed himself to the side of doorframe before darting out, sweeping his left side while the Demolisher, who quickly followed, cleared his right. They were met with two Lancer corpses bleeding by the door and silence…strange, tranquil silence…

The room, cargo bay more like, encompassed the entire floor in stacks of crates and boxes the only breaks being found in the stacks laying around the administration station in the center, the stairwell to the next level on the opposite side, and the small shuttle hanger door that lied shut on the outer right wall. A quick glance in that direction saw a duo of UT-47 Kodiaks, decked out in a navy blue and grey that almost made Shepard believe them to be friendly until he noticed the lack of Alliance insignia on their hulls.

 _At least we know how the flanking group got inside._ Shepard thought with a frown. In reality, such entry created more questions than answers, such as how the Geth were even able to get the shuttles _inside_ to begin with, which…opened the possibilities to moles, indoctrinated agents…the entire ensemble of possible explanations quickly got kicked from Shepard's mind as he focused on the present. He could ask, and answer, those questions once he was out of a combat zone. Another hand wave moved the team forward, weapons tight and ready as the entered the maze of crates. The triangle moved as fast as they dared, Demolisher and Shadow quickly training weapons from pathway to pathway in alert suspicion while Shepard covered their backs. The sense of foreboding hit Shepard nigh instantly upon entry as the towers of containers seemed to close in on himself and his team. The path ahead was too tight…there were too many places to hide…and he only had a team of three…

A barely audible whir was the only warning he received before a Geth Trooper burst out from a container directly to his right, a glistening orange omni-blade aimed straight for his head…

…Shepard had only a split second to react…

His first thought brought his Typhoon to bear in an upwards block against the oncoming threat. The weapon wouldn't provide any protection at such short range on such short notice, the weapon itself, however, provided enough bulk and metallic resistance to redirect the strike off target…

The move worked. The outstretched blade arched over Shepard's right shoulder after shearing the Typhoon in two, the missed strike leaving the Trooper off balance just for a moment…

Shepard could hear other Geth now, just as he could hear his two team members fight off their own attackers. The telltale crackle of an overload met with the metallic rip of sliced armor, undoubtedly coming from the Shadow's handy arc-blade… _Hunter decloaking behind_ …

His movement began the second he heard the shimmer of a cloaking field dropping, ingrained training working to save his life in the split-second it took to wrest the overextended Trooper around to intercept the Pulse shotgun rounds meant for Shepard's torso. The two shots easily cored the Trooper's chest, although Shepard did notice the Geth's barriers take far more of the first hit than he expected…

A quick jerk of his arm brought his sidearm to bear, the M-11 Suppressor spitting out a trio of rounds at the Hunter's head…only for his barriers to drop to half nearly instantly from a stream of Pulse rifle fire. The response came instantly as the destroyed Geth Trooper in Shepard's hands found itself launched at its Hunter friend before another three Suppressor rounds founds themselves buried in the offending Trooper's head, which exploded in a shower of white fluid and metal scrap. The diversion, however, lost him precious time as the Hunter shoved aside its former fellow before taking aim again…

A quick calculation ran through Shepard's head instantly as he dashed forward, left arm starting to glow with orange light…

It wasn't fast enough, however, as another shotgun round impacted his barriers, swiftly knocking them down to zero before the remains splashed harmlessly into his armor. The Hunter, however, seemed to realize the trouble it was quickly going to be in, backpedaling before Shepard's charge…

The attempt remained futile, however, as the enclosed space of their surroundings rendered its efforts moot…while a quick swipe removed the issue altogether. A quick clip change later found Shepard's Suppressor back in action, with a quick double tap dropping another Trooper attempting to flank the group's Infiltrator while said operative was entertained with another adversary. That second Trooper lasted barely a second longer as an arc-blade buried itself in its chest, blue eye quickly dying in response before the blade's owner wrenched it free. The Demolisher, however, appeared to have finished the job on his own, with a quartet of shattered and sizzling Geth lying broken at his feet…

Shepard cautiously waited one second…then the next…

"Report.", came his order as the adrenaline of combat began to die down.

"Green.", the Shadow answered first, sword returning to its sheath on her back. The Demolisher remained silent for another second, however, before returning with the same update. Shepard finally allowed himself a split second to wind down from the adrenaline high that close quarters combat always gave him, while also absentmindedly refreshing his pistol with a fresh clip. His eyes quickly darted around the battle site as he took stock of what had occurred. Over a dozen Geth corpses littered the floor, all in varying states of integrity, which was an excellent result compared to how it could've gone. His team hadn't completely escaped unscathed, however, as the Demolisher's hardsuit clearly displayed remains of a quartet of reflected pulse rounds on his chestplate and the Shadow's shoulder pauldron had a clean gash cut through the surface of its plate, probably caused by an Omni-Blade or other such weapon. A small sigh escaped him as he eyed the pieces of his Typhoon on the ground…he really liked that gun.

A quick mental command saw a yellow light flash on Shepard's HUD as his team began to move out again ' _Status update.'_

A green light promptly flashed in response to the burst transmission _'Negative contact, proceeding'._

' _At least something was going well'_ , Shepard thought as the trio found their way down the stairwell to the fourth level, passing another trio of Turian corpses and also appropriating a fallen Phaeston along the way.

" _Commander?",_ Joker's voice coming over the radio almost made him flinch at the sharp focus biting behind the words, which contrasted with the tense silence in his surroundings.

" _Joker, what's your status?",_ Shepard could hear light gunfire now, small bursts of various rifles echoing down the station's hallways as his team poked their way out of the stairwell.

" _The other ship is turning back towards the station, Commander! They'll be there in a few minutes! Looks like you'll have some company soon!"_ , he cursed under his breath at the revelation. The last thing he needed was more Geth dropping in behind him. A sharp, barking order sent his team running towards the holding area in response.

" _Roger that! Do the best you can! Shepard out!"_ , a sharp turn found a quartet of Geth waiting for them, Pulse rifles blistering with fire that slammed again the humans' barriers. Normal instinct would tell a soldier to stop and take cover, increasing survivability and chance of hitting his target with his weapon. N7's, however, knew better. The best way to get through a roadblock in this kind of engagement was often to just run right through it.

That's exactly what they did.

The Shadow, the lighest and fastest of the three, got there first, bisecting half the Geth into pieces without even breaking stride before darting past the rest. The Demolisher was next who shoved through his opponent with a quick Overload/Incinerate combo, which fried and melted the Geth's components into slag. Shepard's heavy armor made him the last to reach the synthetic line, but certainly not the least. A mental command found his fist cloaked in an orange glow as he approached the final Geth survivor _,_ who actually seemed to _hesitate_ as the man charged it at full speed.

The Trooper quickly found itself backhanded into the wall, with enhancement from his Omni-Tool and his armor ensuring the blow reduced his enemy's head to a crush mess of metal.

Time of engagement…three seconds.

' _Not fast enough'_ , Shepard griped as he heard the gunfire ahead of him stop with an easily identifiable Pulse rifle burst.

One second…Two…Three… _Four…_

The hallway opened up into a massive square room which clearly must take up at least half of the station's fourth level. Stacks of crates, parts, and even ship scrap cluttered a space which appeared to nearly be able to fit the entire Normandy inside. Remains of battle littered the floor, with nearly a dozen Geth laying in pools of white fluid where they fell. Those weren't alone, however, Shepard could count one…two…three…

' _four…five…six…seven…eight…Fuck!...'_ Shepard's teeth gritted in anger at the body count, which numerically encompassed the entirely of both an Alliance and Hierarchy intel team. That isn't what kept his attention, however, no…what kept his attention was a large square metal box, blue lights running in lines across its surface with numerous terminals hardwired into its frame… _the blue box_.

The next thing that caught his attention were six Geth Hunters that stood near the blue box, which quickly whirled around as they sensed his team's entry. The first thing that struck Shepard was the leader, which although the heavy armor and shotgun made it dangerous what really caught his attention was the red stripes on its shoulders… _and the N7 on its chest_ …

Even with being prepared for the sight by the Cyrene reports, Shepard's mind baulked at the scene. To see such a thing…such a _symbol_ …that for him was bought dearly with the blood, sweat, and tears of himself and those around him…that was tantamount to…to… _desecration._

The anger that bubbled furiously beneath Shepard's armor found itself an outlet as the Phaeston in his hands snapped up and targeted the lead Hunter, reticule growing as red as the edges of his vision…

" _Commander…"_ , the whispered hiss came through his helmet speakers with a jolt of awareness as the tense warning contained within the tone made itself known.

Shepard cursed under his breath…

He could see what garnered that particular reaction from his colleagues now. What he hadn't noticed upon entering the room was the semicircle of eight more Geth Troopers all standing still and aiming their weapons at his team. It was all Shepard could do to not kick himself. He should know better than this! Only green rookies make the mistake of tunnel vision in combat…and they only make it once.

His team couldn't engage the Geth like this, even with the cover all strewn about the room. The Geth's inhuman reaction time ensured that. The Demolisher and himself would make it to cover, Shepard was sure, as their heavier armor would be able to take enough rounds in the split second it took between their first attempt at movement to when they dropped down behind something solid enough to protect them. The Shadow on the team had no such luxury. Her barriers would take a decent amount of fire before they fell, and they would definitely fail before she reached safety, but once they did she would either be dead or combat ineffective before having accomplished anything. At that point, best case, Shepard and the Demolisher would find themselves overwhelmed by superior numbers and flanking fire after having taken down most of the Geth force. Worst case…well…they all die before they even fire a single round.

It was then that Shepard finally noticed the last oddity going on in the room…the Geth weren't firing…

Even with all their superior position, even with their heavier firepower and collective survivability, the Geth surrounding him and his team hadn't moved a muscle since they entered the room. It only underscored the point…something was very _wrong_ here…

The tension in the room remained palpable…until the self-stylized N7 finally turned its gaze between the dead Intel teams on the floor and the N7 team in front of it.

"Unfortunate.", came the near monotone voice as its flashlight head looked towards Shepard, "Identify?"

Unfortunate… _unfortunate?!_...Shepard gritted his teeth in response. The death of the entire station crew was merely unfortunate?! And since when in hell have Geth ever been able to talk?!

Shepard always hated this level of a bullshit explanation for anything that ever happened in his career. If it had been any other situation…that Geth would already be dead on the floor…still…it couldn't hurt to tell them…go out with a bang…

"Commander Shepard. Alliance Navy.", came defiant retort.

The response, however, was not what Shepard expected. The talking Geth almost seemed to… _recoil…_ with surprise…anger…confusion…to be honest, Shepard had no clue. He wasn't a Geth mind reader…but he was pretty sure Geth headplates weren't normally meant to do _that._

The plates finally settled on folding inward, emphasizing a headlight that had changed from a calm blue to an angry red… "Remove. Your. Helmet." Shepard's thoughts raced in confusion at the request…

"Why would…"

"DO IT!", the synthetic voice boomed as its comrades and itself took an extra step closer and tightened the grip on their weapons in silent warning. The Demolisher and Shadow spared Shepard a wary glance, for the first time uncertain as to how to play this out. Shepard had already made his choice though. Why the hell would he care if he died with his helmet off or on?...well…his mom might at the funeral…

His hand quickly unsealed his helmet regardless and dropped it to his side.

If Shepard thought the reaction from the Geth before was unusual, now it turned into outright insanity as every Geth Trooper in the room began to twitch and glance between each other as if they were… _nervous…_ The only ones similarly affected appeared to be the Hunters, but even they seemed to relax slightly…and only for a split second before their weapons twitched back into readiness…almost as if…as if to them…he wasn't a _target…_

Shepard could feel the unreal silence that settled over the room. He knew he had questions. He took the chance.

"Who are you?", he asked, clear fascination at the ensemble before him underlining his tone. The talking Geth's head shook from side to side, as if in denial…negative…regaining composure perhaps?...

"No.", it finally said, voice much quieter now. "Better question.", came what sounded like a statement… _' a statement of what'_ Shepard thought.

"What do you mean?", Shepard replied, voice clinging with a subtle doubt that not even he could explain. The talking Geth dropped his weapon before taking a single step backward, towards the glowing computer core.

"Who are we _not_?", it asked.

Shepard's thoughts whirled in confusion. _'What is that supposed to mean?'_

"We are sorry."…

' _What?...'_

Shepard's world exploded…

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" _Lancer, all aboard?"_

" _Roger that Menace Command, all troops accounted for."_

" _Mission status?"_

" _Completed. The charges worked as advertised. Tell Command that I need to meet with all group heads as soon as we arrive back at base."_

" _Roger that, Lancer, I'll let them know. Good job out there. Control out."_

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 **Hope you all enjoyed!**

 **R &R!**


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